Conservation Action Plans

Parks Victoria is now adopting a best-practice approach to conservation planning for managing the extensive parks estate across Victoria.

Using the Conservation action planning methodology, we can identify and focus on strategies that will achieve the greatest improvement in the overall health of ecosystems. This planning process is being used by many conservation agencies around the globe, and can help us share information with international partners when tackling similar problems. 

The Conservation Action Plans (CAPs) cover eighteen parks landscapes classified according to ecological attributes, landforms and administrative boundaries. They are developed through workshops with Traditional Owners, partner agencies, stakeholders, researchers, and scientists. These workshops identify the priority threats to conservation assets and what management strategies and actions will improve their condition over the next 15 years.  After 5 years, the plans will be reviewed, and progress evaluated against implementation of priority actions, threat mitigation objectives and outcomes identified for conservation assets.

Wilsons Promontory

Wimmera

Grampians (Gariwerd)

Mallee

The Mallee Parks Landscape consists of more than 350 parks and reserves. The landscape includes significant areas of remote wilderness featuring sandy dunes, heathlands, woodlands, grasslands, rivers, lakes and wetlands including the Lake Albacutya Ramsar site. It contains more than 1,000 species of native plants and protects habitat for more than 1,300 native animals, over 80 of which are significant.

To learn more about the Conservation Action Plan for this area:
Read the summary
Look at the poster
Download the CAP 

River Red Gum

The River Red Gum Park Landscape is a linear oasis, with many of its ecosystems periodically connected by floodwaters. The landscape provides diverse, unique, high-quality habitats essential for the persistence of threatened species that rely upon seasonally inundated wetlands and floodplain environments. It is characterised by iconic large, old trees, vast floodplains, and internationally significant wetlands.

To learn more about the Conservation Action Plan for this area:
Read the summary
Look at the poster
Download the CAP

Great Otway

The Great Otway Parks Landscape consists of 47 parks and reserves with a combined area of more than 135,000 hectares. It is a landscape of old-growth forests, cool temperate rainforests, biodiverse heathlands, a large expanse of essentially unmodified coastline and important marine ecosystems. It contains more than 7300 fauna and flora species, including 38 nationally endangered or vulnerable species.

To learn more about the Conservation Action Plan for this area:
Read the summary
Download the CAP

Gippsland Plains and Strzelecki Ranges

The Gippsland Plains and Strzelecki Ranges Parks Landscape contains more than 200 parks and reserves with a combined area of more than 145,000 hectares. It is characterised by old-growth forests, internationally recognised wetlands, sandy beaches backed by coastal dunes and heathlands, and extensive seagrass beds and rocky reefs. The landscape is home to more than 2400 native fauna and flora species, including 5 nationally critically endangered and 46 nationally endangered or vulnerable species.

To learn more about the Conservation Action Plan for this area:
Read the summary
Download the CAP

Western Port and South-east Melbourne

The Western Port and South-east Melbourne Parks Landscape contains a range of smaller parks and reserves close to Melbourne, and must balance protecting significant conservation and biodiversity values with visitation and recreation. It is characterised by a wide variety of different ecosystems types, including heathlands, forests, wetlands, coasts and intertidal and subtidal reefs. The landscape contains the Western Port Ramsar Site, 28 wetlands of national or state significance and more than 2850 fauna and flora species, including five nationally critically endangered species and 46 nationally endangered or vulnerable species. 

To learn more about the Conservation Action Plan for this area:
Read the summary
Download the CAP

East Gippsland

The East Gippsland Parks Landscape contains 96 parks and reserves with a combined area of over 380,000 hectares. It encompasses some of Victoria’s most pristine parks and reserves, intact watersheds and remnant forests, as well as long stretches of protected coastline and rocky reefs supporting a diversity of marine species. The landscape is home to 101 nationally threatened species of flora and fauna and many species of state significance.

To learn more about the Conservation Action Plan for this area:
Read the summary
Download the CAP

Western Plains and Wetlands

The Western Plains and Wetlands Parks Landscape contains 155 parks and reserves with a combined area of over 62,700 hectares. It is characterised by endangered grasslands and woodlands, internationally significant lakes and wetlands and important coastal and marine communities. This landscape is home to more than 1100 native flora and fauna species including five nationally critically endangered and eighteen nationally endangered or vulnerable as well as six vegetation communities of national significance.

CAPs will be developed for the following landscapes:

• Northern Plains and Box-Ironbark
• Basalt Plains and Bellarine Peninsula
• Central Highlands
• North-east Melbourne
• Central West Goldfields
• Goulburn and North-east Slopes
• South West
• Greater Alpine