10.2 BIODIVERSITY AND THE FLORA AND FAUNA GUARANTEE ACT 1988 (VIC)

The Flora and Fauna Act 1988 is legislation aimed at protecting biodiversity (Chapter 5). The Act provides a management framework for conserving flora, fauna and ecological communities, and includes various mechanisms to achieve its conservation objectives. One of these mechanisms is the listing of potentially threatening processes, and threatened species and communities⁴⁷⁴ Once listed, Action Statements must be prepared to describe what is to be done to conserve and manage those species, communities or processes⁴⁷⁵

In November 1992, the `Introduction of Exotic Organisms into Victorian Marine Waters' was listed as a Potentially Threatening Process under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. The Committee notes with concern that an Action Statement has not yet been released by the Department⁴⁷⁶ The Committee has been advised that there is a large backlog of listings of threatened species and threatening processes which the Department is working through gradually⁴⁷⁷and that the Action Statement on exotic marine species is an unusual and particularly complex Statement for the Department to prepare⁴⁷⁸ The Committee is also advised that preparation of a working draft of the Action Statement for the introduction of exotic organisms into Victorian waters has commenced. In view of the urgent need to manage introduced exotic species the Committee considers it essential that an Action Statement be completed and released within 12 months of tabling of this Report.

Recommendation 10 That the Department of Natural Resources and Environment complete and release an Action Statement for the listing under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 of the `Introduction of Exotic Organisms into Victorian Marine Waters' as a Potentially Threatening Process within 12 months of the tabling of this Report.