Activities and outcomes

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Overview

The Australian Government is investing more than $200 million to support the recovery of our native wildlife and their habitats from the devastating Black Summer bushfires of 2019–20.

To undertake on-ground recovery activities the government is working with:

• local communities
• wildlife carers
• zoos
• natural resource
• management organisations
• Indigenous organisations
• conservation groups
• universities
• state, territory and local governments.

Western Ground Parrot

Found only in Western Australia, the western ground parrot is one of the world’s rarest birds with fewer than 150 remaining in the wild. The fires burnt through thousands of hectares of the birds’ habitat but Birdlife Australia, with its local partners in Western Australia, are surveying the population to determine the viability of a wild-to-wild translocation. This is part of a long-term strategy to save these beautiful birds.

Kangaroo Island

Kangaroo Island is home to several rare species including the endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart. With more than 95% of its habitat burnt, there were grave concerns for the dunnart population. Thankfully, motion-sensing cameras installed by the Kangaroo Island Landscape Board and the National Parks and Wildlife Service South Australia have captured images of this elusive mammal.

Feral cat controls are being undertaken to protect the surviving population.

Victoria's high country

Victoria’s high country is home to more than 4000 hectares of alpine peatlands. It is an ecological community that is crucial for the health of the region—people, plants and animals. The North East Catchment Management Authority is leading a project to undertake feral animal control to protect the peatlands from trampling and overgrazing. Through the project, weed removal is underway in the Alpine National Park to protect the peatlands from these invasive plants.

South Coast New South Wales

In the south eastern corner of NSW, bushfire recovery teams have been working hard to reduce sediment and ash washing into, and clogging up, local waterways. Using jute mesh and eco-logs made from compacted coconut fibre, South East Local Land Services and the Batemans Bay and Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Councils, are helping to alleviate damage to local creeks and rivers and reducing the impact on native animals, such as the threatened Macquarie Perch.

South-east Queensland and northern New South Wales

Detection dogs are helping scientists protect the future of the antechinus—a small, endangered native marsupial with a mouse-like face. The dogs are trained to detect their scent, as part of surveys for the antechinuses in high altitude areas of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales. Led by the Queensland University of Technology, this project will help establish locations of surviving populations and inform future management of the species.

Impacts

The devastating scale of the bushfires:

• Nearly 40% of Kangaroo Island was burnt, with more than 80% severely burnt.
• More than 60% of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area was burnt, with more than half of this at high or very high severity.

Assessment of impacts on wildlife and habitats

Desktop analysis by experts has identified 810 priority matters (native plants, animals and ecological communities) for immediate management following the bushfires.

On-ground surveys are underway to assess the condition of native plants and animals, pest animals and weeds.

486 priority plants - 95 (19%) benefiting from Australian Government funding

92 priority vertebrate animals - 80 (87%) benefiting from Australian Government funding

213 priority invertebrates - 122 (57%) benefiting from Australian Government funding

19 priority threatened ecological communities - 6 (84%) benefiting from Australian Government funding

Funding

An initial $50 million investment has been rolled out since January 2020. $43.4 million has been contracted to date

• $13 million to state and territory governments for on-ground emergency interventions
• $11.9 million to 37 Wildlife and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Program grants
• $7 million to 18 natural resource management organisations in affected areas
• $4 million to zoos and wildlife carers to treat injured wildlife and establish insurance populations for at-risk species
• $5 million to Greening Australia to increase supply of seed and native plants for revegetation
• $2.5 million to Conservation Volunteers Australia to mobilise volunteers through a national coordination point
• approximately $6.6 million yet to be contracted

What's next

• A new program will support captive breeding for identified high-priority species
• Regional workshops have identified priority recovery actions to be funded with $110 million for the 7 most vulnerable bushfire affected regions
• A $10-million grants program to support communities to deliver bushfire recovery activities for their local environment
• A $2-million grants program to fund knowledge exchange workshops on Indigenous fire and land management

Action

Protecting burnt and unburnt areas and restoring habitat

• 1,065,282 ha of pest animal treatment
• 6,898 ha of initial weed treatment
• 707 ha of erosion control

Community participation

• 11,896 volunteers have been registered by Conservation Volunteers Australia to assist with bushfire recovery projects
• 67 groups and/or individuals, including wildlife care organisations, are being supported to deliver recovery and future preparedness activities

Note: The number of organisations registered with Conservation Volunteers Australia and the number of grants provided under the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife Heroes program only.

Emergency rescue and wildlife care

• 6 animal populations were translocated to unburnt habitat
• More than 7000 animals have been treated for bushfire-related injuries

Conservation away from burnt habitats

• 5 priority animal species are being bred in new or expanded conservation facilities

$4 million has been provided for the treatment of injured wildlife, the establishment of insurance populations of at-risk species, and support on-ground wildlife rescue, protection and care services.

Reported outcomes from funded organisations

As at 15 September 2020

Organisation	Outcomes
Taronga Zoo	A Northern Corroboree Frog insurance population of 100 eggs, collected from wild sites most impacted by fire in Kosciuszko National Park, have hatched and are growing well as tadpoles with no health concerns encountered. Construction of a purpose built breeding facility is underway to support conservation breeding of the species. Construction of a Regent Honeyeater holding aviary is complete. This aviary will increase holding capacity of Regent Honeyeater by 30% to support conservation breeding of the species. 37 bushfire-affected animals have been rescued, rehabilitated and released. An Emergency Training Module has been developed and incorporated into Taronga’s Wildlife Treatment and Care Course and has been accessed 1382 times. The module covers the assessment, triage and treatment of bushfire affected wildlife, covering a broad range of at-risk species, focussing on burns and dehydration. A purpose-built mobile app is being developed to support emergency in situ resource supplementation for native wildlife. Design has been completed and the app will be going into the development phase. Taronga's Australian Registry investigations have detected the zoonotic disease, avian chlamydia, which has resulted in education materials being developed for both wildlife carers and their veterinarians, and also the general public in affected areas. This project will enhance preparedness to reduce native wildlife mortalities and extinctions in remnant populations from emerging infectious diseases post bushfire.
Zoos South Australia	Full-time veterinary care was provided on Kangaroo Island from grant commencement until 24 March 2020. More than 650 animals, comprising 10 species, were rescued (the majority being koala). Emergency equipment was purchased and transported to Kangaroo Island to increase emergency triage capacity. Six Southern Emu-wrens were salvaged from a declining population at Karrata, Kangaroo Island, and successfully translocated to remnant habitat near Snug Cove, Kangaroo Island. Supplementary feeding was provided to a surviving Kangaroo Island Dunnart population of 7 individuals. This activity supported fencing and predator controls works undertaken by project partners, and benefits were observed for both dunnarts and other species in the area. Planning for wildlife facility development is underway with a site for an intensive breeding facility for small mammals at Monarto Safari park cleared in preparation for construction works.
Zoos Victoria	33 koalas have been rescued and treated by Zoos Vic and partners. 24 are currently receiving ongoing veterinary care or rehabilitation through project partners. A Wildlife Emergency Welfare Coordinator has been appointed to develop and introduce coordinated training programs for vets, vet nurses and wildlife carers. Zoos Victoria is working with the RSPCA, the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, the Australian Veterinary Association and the University of Melbourne to develop training and implementation options. The training will increase standards of triage and care of wildlife injured as a result of an emergency. The first training session is expected to be provided from November 2020. Creation of three specialist facilities for captive breeding of priority frog species (Spotted Tree Frog, Large Brown Frog and Giant Burrowing Frog) is underway. Each purpose-built frog facility will include specialised life support systems, breeding habitats and high level biosecurity. Planning for upgraded holding pens at the Australian Wildlife Health Centre at Healesville Sanctuary is underway. The pens will have increased capacity, be multi-purpose and be adaptable for a range of different species likely to be received in an emergency (e.g. koalas, birds, wombats, kangaroos and wallabies).
Captive breeding organisations	Nine specialist organisations accredited for positive animal welfare by the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia are receiving a share of $4.5 million in funding for captive breeding of eleven bushfire-affected species. This support will significantly increase the numbers of 11 species, with the aim of boosting numbers in the wild. The eleven species are among the 119 animals identified by the Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel as high priorities for urgent management intervention following the bushfires. $450,000 to Ballarat Wildlife Park to support the Manning River Helmeted Turtle. $825,000 to Symbio Wildlife Park to support the Manning River Helmeted Turtle, George’s River Turtle and Stuttering Frog. $850,000 to Aussie Ark to support the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, Manning River Helmeted Turtle, Stuttering Frog and Giant Barred Frog. $350,000 to Zoos Victoria to support the Mountain Pygmy-possum. $621,192 to Taronga Conservation Society to support the Regent Honeyeater and Bellinger River Snapping Turtle. $168,000 to the Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park to support the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby. $150,000 to the Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park to support the Smoky Mouse and New Holland Mouse. $180,000 to Priam Psittaculture Centre to support the Smoky Mouse and New Holland Mouse.
Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife	45 emergency grants were provided to wildlife care organisations across Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and the ACT. Wildlife care organisations which received funding reported the rescue of over 6,000 animals. Wildlife care organisations have reported that the funds were very effective in meeting their immediate needs for wildlife rescue during the 2019-20 bushfires. Mental health resources have been developed to support the well-being of wildlife carers. Launched a national grant round on Friday 28 August to provide funding to wildlife care and rehabilitation groups to buy or build large durable assets for use in the rescue, treatment and rehabilitation of animals as a result of emergency situations. Grants of approximately $10,000 - $50,000 will be made available from a pool of $500,000. Applications close on Friday 25 September.

$7 million has been provided to Natural Resource Management organisations in bushfire affected areas to carry out emergency interventions including control of feral predators, other pest animals and weeds, and habitat protection measures (including erosion control measures).

Activity progress across 3 key metrics

As at 30 June 2020

NRM Region	Controlling Pest Animals (area treated - ha)	Removing Weeds (area treated - ha)	Erosion Management (area of control - ha)1
ACT	100	707
Adelaide and Mount Lofty Ranges (SA)	273
Central Tablelands (NSW)	7596		7
Condamine (QLD)	1616	2748
Eyre Peninsula (SA)	912		20
Greater Sydney (NSW)	465	2	2
Hunter (NSW)	80874
Kangaroo Island (SA)	44000		See note
Murray (NSW)			See note
North Coast (NSW)	114385	44
North East (Vic)	11900	40
Northern Tablelands (NSW)	695522	1320
Riverina (NSW)	1549	1546
South East (NSW)	20000		678 See note
South East (Queensland)		51
South East (SA)	86091	441
Total	1065282	6899	708

¹ Note: For some regions, erosion control measures have also been reported in “length of river/coastline treated (km)”, with a total of 208.52 km has been treated in total across Murray (NSW), Kangaroos Island (SA) and South East (NSW).