Help protect our precious animals and plants.
The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act is the key legislation that protects nature in Victoria. It came into force in 1988 and its main purpose is to ‘guarantee that all native flora and fauna can survive and flourish in the wild’. In reality the Act has not provided any ‘guarantees’. Many of our native plants and animals are in deep trouble with almost a third of land-based species listed as threatened with extinction.
Fortunately the Andrews Government has recognised the problem and is reviewing the Act.
It’s a good start, but it’s by no means clear how the proposed reforms are really going to do the job required to protect our precious plants and animals in the long term. Please contact your MP about making our nature laws stronger.
(Put in your electorate and click on the MP to get contact details)
Make sure you mention the following five key elements for a reformed Act:
You could talk about the place, plant or animal that is important to you and why it needs protection!
With over 700 species and ecological communities on the list, the Act has been woefully ineffective in halting the steady decline in precious habitat or in addressing the many threats that affect our native species.
The government’s Consultation Paper recognises the shortcomings of the Act, in particular the failure to plan for climate change and the limited scope of current programs. It intends conservation efforts to focus on the ‘preventative end of biodiversity decline’ so that more species can survive in the long-term and do not become endangered.
Sign the petition to Act on Extinction