Kings Billabong near Mildura - Darryl Whitaker
The Victorian Government is investing $32 million to June 2025 to reduce the impacts of pest herbivores, pest predators and invasive weeds at priority locations across the state. Invasive species are a key threat to Victoria’s unique native flora and fauna, contributing to their decline. Acting to reduce this threat also increases the resilience of native plants and animals to adapt to the effects of climate change.
The Protecting Biodiversity program is funding large scale projects where invasive species management will have the most benefit for the greatest number of native species.
This builds on work already underway in some of Victoria’s most iconic landscapes including the Mallee in the northwest of the state, to the Otways and Grampians in the west, at Wilson’s Promontory in the south and in Victoria’s Alps and rugged East Gippsland. The work is critical to improve the outlook for many threatened species and communities, some of which include:
Several projects are led or co-led by Traditional Owner groups. Neds Corner in the state’s northwest is a great example where the First Peoples of the Millewa Mallee are using this investment to heal Country in preparation for the largest hand back of land to Traditional Owners in Victoria’s history.
A further $2.8 million is also supporting Trust for Nature’s Iconic Estates program, which works statewide with private landholders seeking permanent protection through covenanting of their properties with high biodiversity values.
The Protecting Biodiversity program is part of the Victorian Government’s ongoing investment to support the implementation of Protecting Victoria’s Environment – Biodiversity 2037. It is one of a suite of programs funding actions to support biodiversity and threatened species.
Landscape | Native species benefiting (examples) | Invasive species targeted | Lead delivery organisations |
|---|---|---|---|
Alps & northern highlands | Long-footed Potoroo, Broad-toothed Rat, Eastern Wallaroo, Spot-tailed Quoll, Mt Pilot Spider Orchid, Crimson Spider Orchid, Warby Range Swamp Gum, Alpine peatlands. | Feral pigs | Parks Victoria, DEECA Hume |
Feral horses, weeds | Parks Victoria | ||
Deer | Parks Victoria, DEECA Gippsland | ||
Foxes | DEECA Hume | ||
Barmah & surrounds | Threatened Ecological Vegetation Classes including Sand Ridge Woodland and Floodplain Grassy Wetland | Feral goats, feral pigs, weeds | Parks Victoria |
Gippsland | Internationally important migratory bird species, Southern Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby, Giant Burrowing Frog, Greater Glider and Yellow-bellied Glider, Southern Brown Bandicoot, Spot-tailed Quoll, Leafless Tongue Orchid, Limestone Blue Wattle, FFG listed rainforest communities | Feral horses | Parks Victoria |
Deer, foxes, feral cats, weeds | Parks Victoria, DEECA Gippsland | ||
Feral pigs | Parks Victoria, DEECA State-wide Invasive Species Program | ||
Glenelg | Heath Mouse, Striped worm Lizard, South-eastern Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Coastal Leek-orchid, Limestone Ridge Spider-orchid, Manna gum woodlands | Deer | DEECA Barwon South West |
Feral pigs, feral goats | DEECA Barwon South West, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Corporation | ||
Weeds | Parks Victoria, DEECA Barwon South West, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owner Corporation | ||
Grampians | Grampians Duck-orchid, Grassy Woodland, Heath Mouse | Deer, feral goats, weeds | Parks Victoria |
Mallee | Mallee Emu-wren, Mallee fowl, Murray-Darling Carpet Python, Bandy-bandy, Growling grass frog, Saltbush Striped Skink, Kneed Swainson-pea, Nealie Umbrella Wattle, Murray Short necked turtle | Feral goats, feral pigs | Parks Victoria, Mallee Catchment Management Authority |
Rabbits, foxes, weeds | Parks Victoria, Mallee Catchment Management Authority, First People of the Millewa Mallee Aboriginal Corporation | ||
Feral cats | Mallee Catchment Management Authority, First People of the Millewa Mallee Aboriginal Corporation | ||
Melbourne & surrounds | White-footed Dunnart, Coastal Moonah Woodlands, French Island Spider Orchid, Common Spider Orchid | Weeds | Parks Victoria |
Northern Plains & Mid-Murray | EPBC & FFG-listed threatened grassland and woodland communities, Plains-wanderer, Spiny Rice-flower; Cultural values such as cooking mounds and scar trees | Weeds | Dja Dja Wurrung Enterprises Pty Ltd trading as Djandak |
Otways | Southern Brown Bandicoot, Long-nosed Potoroo, Metallic Sun-orchid, Anglesea Grevillea, Swamp Antechinus | Foxes, feral pigs, weeds | Parks Victoria |
Wilsons Promontory | New Holland Mouse, Eastern Bristlebird, Late Helmet Orchid | Feral cats, deer, foxes, weeds | Parks Victoria |
Statewide | Permanent Protection | Trust for Nature |
Contact us
Please get in touch if you want to learn more about the Protecting Biodiversity program.
You can email us at enviro.grants@deeca.vic.gov.au
Page last updated: 23/05/24