Plants and Animals

Actions for Biodiversity Conservation (ABC): Managing our Threatened Species and Communities

What is the ABC?

The Actions for Biodiversity Conservation (ABC) is a web-based information system developed and implemented by DSE. It is the primary means by which DSE accumulates knowledge about threatened species and communities in Victoria. It is used to track the progress of management actions documented in Action Statements prepared under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 and in Recovery Plans prepared under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The ABC currently holds information on more than 400 species and communities and over 14 000 management actions at approximately 2000 locations across Victoria. Reporting on threatened species and communities outcomes is a new feature currently being developed within the ABC.

The ABC helps to: target resources to higher priority actions facilitate networking and communication between the broad range of partners involved in threatened species and community recovery increase understanding of the management requirements of threatened species and communities by using a common "language" to describe threats, priority actions and results decrease time delays in communicating the need for a priority action(s) to be undertaken raise management standards as we learn through the experience of others save administrative time by allowing reports about actions and/or results to be quickly produced for state, regional, local, organisational, species or communities needs improve the capacity for continuous planning by enabling planning be done at weekly, monthly or quarterly intervals rather than just annually allow for consistent and transparent monitoring and reporting of population and threat abatement trends

For further information on the ABC you can download the latest fact sheet:

ABC Fact Sheet - May 2009 (PDF - 301 KB)

You can also apply to be registered as a "view only" user of ABC by contacting the DSE Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Monitoring threatened species and communities in Victoria

Although we have substantial information about on-ground activities that are being undertaken for threatened species from year to year, we currently have no way of reporting on how populations may have changed over time. The ABC is currently being further developed to do just that. Species and communities trends over time will be determined by modelling action, threats and population factors that have an impact on population trend. If you are involved in monitoring a threatened species population in Victoria, please contact the ABC team via the Customer Service Centre for further information on how you can contribute to the project. Monitoring and reporting on trends is estimated to be available for use by early 2009.