Our achievements

In our second year of operation, we have continued to establish ourselves as a new regulator. We have sought to be more open and transparent and focus our efforts on where our greatest risks lie to have the most impact possible.

Listed below are some of our key achievements, initiatives and projects in 2020–21.

Key publications

Continuing to communicate our areas of focus, along with how we regulate and what we are seeking to achieve, are critical to our success as a regulator. To support this, in 2020–21 we published:

Upgrades to our tools and systems

Being a modern regulator, means we need to constantly update and upgrade our systems, tools and processes.

Technology advances year on year, and in 2020‑21 we have adapted and upgraded a number of our systems and processes.

Our authorised officers are now equipped with body worn cameras to use whenever they head out on operational duties.

This is the same technology used by Victoria Police, and is another way of helping obtain strong evidence during a patrol, inspection or when executing a warrant, while at the same time keeping officers accountable for their actions. Officers are still required to make field notes, but the footage removes the degree of doubt which can sometimes come with reciting information from memory.

A new internal intelligence platform has been a game changer for how our authorised officers gather information about incidents and persons of interest. Officers can now report in real time from the field using a mobile application. This enables real time monitoring, faster reporting and response times enabling offenders to be identified and intercepted faster and more efficiently. Advances in our intelligence tools will continue into 2021–22.

We have made significant improvements to our internal Case Management Framework to streamline our processes and procedures. This has not only increased efficiencies, but allows for individual cases to be better triaged, tracked, and progressed, supporting more timely and proportionate outcomes.

We established the map-based Forest Information Portal providing significant improvements in public access to forest related data and information.

Continuing to improve transparency

Trust is a key component of the Conservation Regulator’s mission, and transparency is critical to help build the community’s trust in us as a regulator.

We have made concerted efforts to identify and act on opportunities to improve our transparency.

This has included launching an entirely new website which provides better, clearer and more comprehensive information about not just our regulatory activities and outcomes, but also how to comply with the law.

We have provided the community with open access data utilised by timber harvesting programs via the Forest Information Portal.

This interactive website allows anyone to view forest-related data such as vegetation types, boundaries and recreation locations as well as information from programs including our Forest Protection Survey Program.

Our new external quarterly newsletter, Conservation Matters, launched in late 2020 is an opportunity to communicate with our stakeholders about the latest updates from the regulator, key changes, and opportunity to have their say.

We have also continued to consult through the Victorian Government’s EngageVic online platform, seeking feedback on draft tools, strategies and guidance. For each consultation process we publish engagement reports to summarise what we heard, and what changed, or did not and why, as a result of the feedback provided.

Appropriate, efficient and consistent use of permissions

The Conservation Regulator administers regulatory permissions (licences, permits and authorities) to selectively grant permission to conduct an activity which is otherwise illegal. We assess all applications that are made to us, and decide whether to grant or refuse a permission application.

In 2020–21, the Conservation Regulator processed more than 12,480 licences and permits. Figure 3 outlines the types and volumes of wildlife licences, permits and authorities issued in 2020–21.

Improvement is continuous

The Conservation Regulator is committed to continually improving our licencing and permit systems to make them more efficient, user-friendly and consistent.

In 2020–21, we transitioned a number of our licencing services online. Where traditionally we have relied upon paper-based applications, including for private wildlife licences, we can now receive and process electronic applications. The move towards electronic processing of all licence applications will be a key focus into 2021–22.

During 2020–21, we continued to progress a range of measures to improve the Authority to Control Wildlife system. This included improved guidance to applicants, along with smoother applications and assessment processes. These improvements will continue into 2021–22.

Working together to achieve better impact

We achieve a greater impact when we work together. The Conservation Regulator has a broad regulatory role, and there are endless opportunities to work with our partners and stakeholders to achieve good outcomes for our environment and community.

Our relationships with co-regulators such as Parks Victoria, Game Management Authority and Victoria Police are key. Throughout the year we work together through activities such as joint patrols, investigations, operations and educational activities.

We are reliant on members of the community to report potential breaches of the law, provide information when we conduct investigations, and to contribute to public consultation which we undertake in the development of our publications, such as guidance and strategies.

We have sought input from stakeholders via EngageVic consultation, through our Stakeholder Reference Group, and seminars and forums, such as our inaugural Timber Harvesting Compliance and Enforcement Forum held in June 2021.

The input and advice received is critical in enabling us to improve the way we undertake our regulatory role.