Wildlife Queensland welcomes the release of the first ever strategy for the protection of Queensland’s biodiversity. This is certainly a significant step in the right direction -however will it be enough?

The draft biodiversity strategy acknowledges the value of Queensland’s biodiversity and that it is in significant decline. It has two overarching goals: reverse the decline in biodiversity; and increase the resilience of species, ecosystems and ecological processes. The plan focuses on the protection of priority threatened species, the expansion of protected areas, enhancing the protection of biodiversity on leasehold land and encouraging the community to participate. There appears to be an emphasis on fauna. Flora is also a key component of biodiversity. The plan also aims for a coordinated approach to biodiversity conservation across all levels of government. Wildlife Queensland considers it vital that all government departments are made accountable and participate in the delivery of the strategy.

It is disappointing to note, the draft plan is filled with motherhood statements expressing what we need to do but with very little detail on how it’s going to be done. For example the strategy identifies that ten priority species will be subject to programs to recover or reduce further decline by 2020, but does not identify what they are. However the companion document ‘Protected Areas for the Future’ (PAF) provides additional detail into how an expanded protected area system will be developed. This is certainly a positive. Wildlife Queensland is disappointed that freshwater and marine ecosystem conservation is not addressed in the companion document. It is noted that a key priority action in the draft is to update the PAF in order to address marine and freshwater conservation - however it is a shame that this couldn’t have been done prior to the release of the document. Areas such as assessment surveys and monitoring do not appear to be adequately addressed.

Evidently the implementation of such a plan will require significant resources - again there is no detail about how these resources will be made available. Wildlife Queensland advocates the development of an appendix attached with an indication of the resources that will be required and timeframes for the implementation.

The community is encouraged to submit comments on the draft strategy.
Wildlife Queensland will submit comments and further information to assist with your submission will be made available via our website.

Submissions can be provided on the Get Involved website or via email.

Comments can also be posted to: Feedback on Queensland’s draft biodiversity strategy, Biodiversity Integration Unit, Department of Environment and Resource Management, GPO Box 2454, Brisbane QLD 4001.

Submissions close 8 April 2011

For more information and to view the draft strategy visit the website

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.