The bushfires severely impacted Victoria’s plants, animals and habitats. Coordinated actions led by the Victorian Government are underway to protect our biodiversity, including the reseeding of 11,500 hectares of ash forest by air, 420,000 hectares of pest herbivore control and the extraction of 14 at-risk species.
Coming home
Koalas rescued from the fire-grounds near Mallacoota were returned safely home to the wild thanks to the work of Zoos Victoria, the RSPCA, DEWLP, the ADF and many other experts and volunteers. 58 percent of the habitat of the Eastern bristlebird was directly affected by fire. Experts led by DELWP, Parks Victoria and Zoos Victoria extracted 15 bristlebirds after the fires, housing them safely until they were able to return them to Cape Howe.
New fencing
Thousands of kilometres of fencing were destroyed in the fires. The Victorian Government’s Boundary Fencing Program, delivered by DELWP, provided eligible landowners with $5000 per kilometre to repair or upgrade fire-damaged fences bordering National Parks, State Parks and State Forests. 490 landowners have accessed this support, funding 880 kilometres of replacement fencing across Victoria.
Quick facts
- 1.5 hectares burnt in the 2019-20 Victorian Bushfires
- 215 rare or threatened species had at least 50 per cent of their likely statewide habitat burnt
- 9 habitat types had more than 50 per cent of their extent burnt
Updated