资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

On Monday 13 January 2020, the Australian Government made an initial commitment of $50 million for emergency wildlife and habitat recovery. This is a down-payment to support immediate work to protect wildlife, and work with scientists, ecologists, communities and land managers to plan the longer-term protection and restoration effort.

• Initial commitment of $50 million for emergency wildlife and habitat recovery

What will the package do?

As part of the package, $25 million will be provided for an emergency intervention fund to help with the immediate survival of affected animals, plants and ecological communities and to control pests and weeds. The Threatened Species Commissioner, Dr Sally Box, will chair a panel of experts charged with advising the Australian Government on actions to be supported through the $25 million emergency intervention fund.  

A further $25 million will be made available to support wildlife rescue, our zoos, Natural Resource Management groups, Greening Australia and Conservation Volunteers Australia with on the ground activities. This will include:

• up to $7 million for Natural Resource Management groups in bushfire affected areas to carry out emergency interventions including control of feral predators, other pest animals and weeds, and habitat protection measures (such as fencing and nest boxes).
• up to $7.5 million to support on-ground wildlife rescue, protection and care services and address emerging needs on the frontline.
• up to $5 million for Greening Australia to increase supply of seed and native plants for revegetation.
• up to $3 million for Taronga Zoo, Zoos South Australia and Zoos Victoria for treatment of injured wildlife and the establishment of insurance populations of at-risk species. This is in addition to the $3 million committed in late 2019 to support Queensland Koala Hospitals and the $3 million for koala habitat restoration in northern NSW and south-east Queensland.
• up to $2.5 million for Conservation Volunteers Australia to mobilise volunteers through a national coordination point.

What will the panel of experts do?

Dr Box and the panel will:

• advise the Minister for the Environment on critical interventions required to support the immediate survival of affected animals, plants and ecological communities and to control pests and weeds.
• assess and map the scale of the impacts of the bushfires on our environment and prioritise recovery efforts, which will inform development of a strategy for building populations of native plants and animals back up again and ensuring their resilience into the future.

• Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel

For more information

To contact the Department about the bushfire recovery package for wildlife and their habitat, please email us at BushfireRecovery@environment.gov.au