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How thick can a political skin get? Victoria’s Auditor General condemns the Victorian Government’s abysmal record on species protectionMr. Brumby has claimed that a damning report by the Auditor-General on the mismanagement of endangered species in Victoria is a “pat on the back” for the government. In fact the report reveals that departments responsible for environmental management are so under resourced that at the current rates of progress it would take 22 years just to write action statements for the management of species and ecosystems which are currently listed as threatened in Victoria. (And to implement them? By the time the action statements are written it will be too late anyway!) It furthermore finds that "the government's lack of baseline data or output performance measures means that it is not possible to conclude whether or not the Act has achieved its primary objectives. The available data, which is patchy, indicates that it has not." It also notes failure to use the conservation and control measures in the Act, inadequate listing of threatened species, failure to develop action statements, or to monitor their implementation and assess their effectiveness. Also penalties for offences under the Act have not been reviewed or updated and therefore are not an effective deterrent. The Auditor General's media statement (tabled on April Fools Day 2009) reads as follows: A Victorian Auditor-General’s report, tabled today, has found that the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 no longer provides an effective framework for the conservation and protection of Victoria’s native flora and fauna. The report reveals:
Auditor-General, Mr Des Pearson said it was impossible to determine whether the Act was achieving its main objectives because there was no comprehensive, reliable information available, either as baseline data or as outcome and output performance measures The audit found that:
The report made several recommendations, including the need for the department to
It also recommended that the department should:
Report documents
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