'Best Available Information'

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act  1998

The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act requires the preparation of "Action Statements" for the protection of all listed taxons.  Taxons are species that are considered under threat and include many species that are found in Gippslands Forests.  Action Statements include information that is 'Best Available Information'. 

This website lists and provides access to all Action Statements. 

This document provides more detail on the very first tranche of species that were offered permanent protection under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act. 

This document outlines the interim protections provided under the second tranche of species that were assessed.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is Australia’s central environmental law. It provides a legal framework to protect nationally significant flora, fauna, ecological communities, and heritage places. The Act regulates actions that may have a significant impact on Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES), such as threatened species, World Heritage areas, wetlands, and the Great Barrier Reef. It requires environmental impact assessments, approvals for controlled actions, and supports recovery plans and biodiversity conservation strategies.

The Australian Government’s Conservation Advice is an official document prepared under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). It provides the scientific and management guidance for protecting and recovering a threatened species or ecological community once it is listed under the Act.

Key points:

• The Conservation Advice outlines the main threats, habitat requirements, and recovery actions needed to support the survival of the species or community.

• It is prepared by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (TSSC) and approved by the Minister for the Environment.

• It often serves as the basis for decision-making, including approvals, recovery planning, and prioritisation of conservation funding.

• Unlike a full Recovery Plan, it is shorter and quicker to prepare, focusing on immediate and practical actions.

• It identifies priority management actions, such as controlling invasive species, protecting habitat, restoring ecosystems, and managing fire or disease threats.

Here is a link to the conservation advices for listed species and communities.

* Action Statements may not have been completed or published by government experts for each taxon however there is additional best available information available from scientists and specialist groups working to research these taxons.
In addition to the recommended protections offered by the FFGA and the EPBC, we have included the protections detailed in ‘Schedule 1: Management Standards and Procedures for timber harvesting operations in Victoria’s State forests’, which forms part of the Code of Practice for Timber Production 2014 (as amended).  This information, even if not forming a legal requirement for FSC certificate holders, does meet the definition of Best Available Information within the FSC Standard.  In our view, the Code is potentially the lowest possible agreed standard for protection, not the highest but does constitute ‘best available’ .  There may well be taxon experts and groups who have a much more scientific and up to date understanding of what effective protections like.

 These databases provide species distribution, observation and other mapping data relating to species and can be considered Best Available Information. 

Victorian Biodiversity Atlas
Victorian State Government 

Atlas of Living Australia
Provides open access to Australia's Biodiversity Data

Rainforest

The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Action Statement for Rainforest is very out of date (2009) but even at the time it was produced, all Rainforest communities were noted to be ‘In a demonstrable state of decline, likely to result in extinction’.  Since then, major bushfires ‘have further impacted threatened species and their unique habitats, including approximately 78% of the remaining Warm Temperate Rainforest in Victoria ‘. (see below)   One report states that 45% of Victoria’s rainforests burned in the 2019/20 fires.(ARI)

These are catastrophic findings; especially in the context of climate change are expected to increase temperature and change humidity in the future. a number of major fire events having taken place, leading to a dramatic decline in remnant Cool Temperate Rainforest and Warm Temperate Rainforest across the eastern seaboard.    Even without an updated Action Statement for Rainforest, a ‘precautionary approach’ is, we think, appropriate.  In our view, ANY remnant rainforest should be considered as precious.

A field guide to rainforest identification in Victoria 2008 Department of Sustainability and Environment
D Cameron

Strzlecki Ranges Biodiversity Study 2001,  Biosis Research
Andrew Hill, Chris Timewell, Sally McCormick & Stephen Mueck

Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act: Action Statement for Rainforest 2009
DEWLP

The impacts of bushfire on rainforest

Post-fire dynamics of Cool Temperate Rainforest in the O'Shannassy Catchment 2019, Arthur Rylah Institute 
A. Tolsma, R. Hale, G. Sutter and M. Kohout

Victoria's bushfire emergency: Biodiversity response and recovery 2020 
DEECA

Supporting rainforest recovery after bushfires 2021
DEECA 

Mountain Ash 

Mountain Ash forests are currently being considered as 'Critically Endangered' under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature system.  The IUCN is specifically listed as a source of Best Available Information for Threatened Species  

Link to the IUCN page relating to Mountain Ash 

Turtons Creek Area information

Vegetation Survey of Cool Temperate Rainforest in Turtons Creek Scenic Reserve: Turtons Creek 2024
K Just, D Osler

Vegetation Survey of Cool Temperate Rainforest across three TFN properties: Turtons Creek 2024
K Just, D Osler

Our team have made observations about the impact of Pine Trees in South Gippsland.  It makes the connection between the two documents below.

Evironmental list of weeds in Victoria, 2018 Arthur Rylah Institute

M. White, D. Cheal, G.W. Carr, R. Adair, K. Blood and D. Meagher