Working together with the wildlife welfare sector
In response to the 2019-20 bushfires, the Hon Minister for Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Solar homes convened a Wildlife Welfare Roundtable, funded by the Victorian Government’s $59 million Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery program. Through this process, DEECA engaged broadly across the wildlife care and welfare sector to listen to the concerns from the 2019-20 season and implement changes to improve our response.
Since 1 July 2020, we have convened several Wildlife Welfare Roundtables to bring together parties from across the wildlife welfare sector including government, non-government and the not-for-profit sector. This group have a shared aspiration to improve the outcomes for wildlife impacted by fire and have co-designed the Wildlife Welfare Bushfire Response 2020 Action Plan (PDF, 637.6 KB) to see these aspirations come to life.
We are committed to delivering evidence-based improvements to our standards and processes, enhanced communication and public engagement and establish better ways of working across the wildlife welfare sector. You can track the progress against the Action plan below:
1. Resourcing and Preparedness
| No. | Action | Responsibility | Timeline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1.1 | Confirmation of State Controller Wildlife role | Lead: DELWP | December 2020 | Complete |
1.2 | Review and update the Victorian response plan for wildlife affected by fire | Lead: DELWP | November -December 2020 | Complete |
1.3 | Incorporate Wildlife Welfare roles and training into DELWP’s emergency management systems | Lead: DELWP | November 2020 - November 2022 | Complete |
1.4 | Update and embed wildlife welfare information for pre-season briefings | Lead: DELWP | November - December 2020 | Complete |
1.5 | Emergency management exercises | Lead: DELWP | November – December 2020 | Complete |
1.6 | Building veterinary capacity | Lead: ZV | July 2020 - | Complete |
1.7 | Online Wildlife Emergency Reporting Tool | Lead: DELWP | July 2020 – January 2021 | Complete |
2. Improved standards and processes
No. | Action | Responsibility | Timeline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2.1 | Provision and coordination of veterinary services | Lead: ZV, DELWP | December 2020 | Complete |
2.2 | Post-treatment release monitoring | Lead: ZV | November 2020 - March 2021 | Complete |
2.3 | Finalise the Wildlife Rehabilitation Guidelines | Lead: DEECA, ZV | May 2023 | Complete |
2.4 | Streamline communication process | Lead: Communications working group | November 2020 | Complete |
3. Working together
No. | Action
| Responsibility | Timeline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
3.1 | Convene a Wildlife Welfare Roundtable | Lead: DELWP | July 2020 – November 2020 | Complete |
3.2 | Create a Wildlife Welfare Sector Liaison Role | Lead: DELWP | December 2020 | Complete |
4. Communication
No. | Action | Responsibility | Timeline | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4.1 | Annual report post-fire season | Lead: DELWP | April 2021 | Complete |
4.2 | Strategy development | Lead: CWG | December 2020 | Complete |
4.3 | Develop and promote key communication materials | Lead: CWG | November 2020 - February 2021 | Complete |
4.4 | Community research to inform communication strategies | Lead: ZV, UoM AWSC | November 2020 - April 2021 | Complete |
Page last updated: 21/08/23