22 March 2010

VICTORIA: New conservation policy directions

The Victorian Government has released a White Paper on policy directions for land and biodiversity called ‘Securing our natural future’. The White paper, together with a summary and a series of fact sheets, is at http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/ (then select ‘Conservation and Environment’).

The White Paper is intended to be a long-term, strategic framework to secure the health of Victoria’s land, water and biodiversity in the face of ongoing pressures and a changing climate over the next fifty years. It has a strong emphasis on landscape connectivity, and proposes a major reorganisation of NRM structures including the current CMAs.

A critique of the White paper from Victoria Naturally Alliance (a peak non-government conservation body) is at http://www.victorianaturally.org.au/

Parallel with the Land & Biodiversity White Paper, the Victorian Government is also renewing the State’s Biodiversity Strategy. An outline of the process, and a review of the expired 1997 Strategy, are also at http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/ (then select ‘Conservation and Environment’). Regional consultation workshops have been completed and a draft of the new five-year Biodiversity Strategy is to be released for public comment ‘in 2010’.

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