Call on Victorian Labor to act on extinction

This is a crucial moment to demand action on extinction.

In just a few short weeks, the Victorian Parliament will hand down its much anticipated report into Victoria’s extinction crisis.

This inquiry, initiated by the Greens more than two years ago, has been the biggest in the Victorian Parliament’s history. The inquiry evidence has shone an important light on what's going wrong in Victoria for our ecosystems and precious plants, animals, birds and other species facing extinction. 

While the inquiry heard a lot of very alarming evidence, it has also comprehensively identified what it will take to turn Victoria’s extinction crisis around. The bottom line: this Labor Government needs to prioritise nature and substantially increase funding to protect and restore our landscapes and threatened species.

Parliamentary inquiries can make a real difference. The waste and recycling inquiry initiated by the Greens a few years ago built the pressure to force Labor to announce key solutions like a cash for containers scheme. Now we need to do the same for nature.

But unfortunately, we know some in Labor are hoping this report goes unnoticed, so that they can continue the status quo of logging, mining, big development and woeful lack of nature funding. 

Right now is a critical time to send a personal email to key decision makers in the Labor Government. If these Ministers hear from you, it sends a message that they can’t ignore this Parliamentary Inquiry or our state’s threatened species. 

Below are some suggestions for what you might like to say. However, your email will have far more impact if it’s unique or personal, so please take a few minutes to write something in your own words and include the nature issues and animals that are close to your heart.

Key information you can include in your email

State of Victoria’s environment

  • Victoria’s environment is in serious decline. The 2018 state of the environment report found that Victoria’s biodiversity is rated poorly and is not improving.
  • Victoria has more than 2000 species and ecological communities facing extinction. This is an increase from around 700 just a few years ago. 
  • Victoria is the most cleared state in Australia, with 66% of native vegetation cleared. Grasslands are the worst threatened, with just 2-5% remaining. 

Recent Victorian Auditor General’s Office Biodiversity Audit findings (report here)

  • A recent audit by the Victorian Auditor General’s Office found that programs run by the Victorian Government to address biodiversity loss and restore threatened species can’t demonstrate if they are having any impact. 
  • VAGO’s audit highlighted that funding for biodiversity and threatened species is inadequate. Labor funded just half of the lowest “life support” option proposed by the Department of Environment.
  • The audit found that while there are tools in legislation that could be used to protect Victoria’s environment, the Government is not using them.

Solutions the Government should adopt based on the evidence from the Parliamentary Inquiry into ecosystem decline

  • Substantially increase funding of Biodiversity 2037, Victoria’s biodiversity strategy, to approximately $0.5-$1 billion per year. 
  • Fund a dedicated threatened species program for Victoria - like the successful Saving our Species program in NSW - with initial funding of $200 million over 4 years.
  • Expand public funding for proven private land conservation programs, including Landcare and Trust for Nature, starting with $50 million for Trust for Nature’s revolving fund to purchase and protect vital habitat on private land
  • Make it mandatory for the Government to protect habitat and threatened species by strengthening Victoria’s key nature legislation - the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.
  • Immediately purchase, protect and restore grasslands to Melbourne’s north and east. These grasslands should have been purchased between 2010 and 2020, but the Government has failed to do so, and now they are deteriorating further. 
  • Expand indigenous land management on public land in Victoria to give First Nations people sovereignty and self determination in Caring for Country.
  • Stop activities undertaken by the Victorian Labor Government that are actively contributing to the loss of ecosystems and wildlife. This includes native forest logging, new fossil fuel projects, major infrastructure developments like the Western Highway Duplication and the North East Link.

Stay up to date with our work on extinction

Add your name

Join the campaign to end extinction in Victoria.