NRE: Victoria's Biodiversity

The hardcopy version of Victoria's Biodiversity Strategy, winner of a Silver Medal at the National Print Awards 1998, is available from the NRE Information Centre, 8 Nicholson St, East Melbourne, 3002 for a cost of AUD $20 plus postage.

Introduction

The Victorian Government endorses this landmark strategy for the conservation of biodiversity in the state. The strategy represents a national benchmark for biodiversity conservation and management.

Victoria’s land area supports a wider range of broad ecosystems than any area of similar size in Australia which includes: the alps, mallee, grasslands, grassy woodlands, forests, heathlands, inland waters, wetlands and coasts. Its marine environment is no less diverse, including intertidal rocky shores, seagrass beds and beaches. Some of our biological assets (Leadbeaters Possum, a suite of orchids and theVolcanic Plains Grasslands) occur nowhere else in the world and must be conserved.

Our actions will greatly influence the quality of our children’s lives, and the lives of generations to come. The Biodiversity Strategy will encourage Victorians to better understand and appreciate our rich and diverse flora and fauna and ecosystems, and to take an active part in their conservation and management for future generations. Individuals, community groups, industry, and government agencies all have a vital role to play.

"Conserving this

diverse biological heritage

is fundamental to our

quality of life and our

economic well-being,

both now and in the future."

The Strategy forms a key step in the Flora and Fauna Guarantee program. It shows how to achieve the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act’s objectives of conserving native species, communities and gene pools, preventing threats and encouraging community involvement.

T he Strategy will bring about better conservation in Victoria by:

increasing the awareness of the need to conserve biodiversity

co-ordinated response within the bioregional networks

continuing the development of partnerships between the community, industry and government in the custodianship of our biodiversity

indicating the existing and proposed mechanisms for achieving the objectives of flora and fauna conservation and management in the context of ecological sustainability

detailing strategic frameworks to prevent further loss of habitat, and a focus for better management of existing habitats and the continuation of natural ecological processes

highlighting the habitats, major threatening processes and environments that require urgent attention.