The ''Native Vegetation Management: A Framework for action 2002'' is a
Victorian strategy which aims to protect, enhance and revegetate Victoria's
native vegetation
In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often popularised as "with no human intervention") during history. The term is equ ...
. The Framework's main goal is to "achieve a reversal, across the entire landscape of the long-term decline in the extent and quality of native vegetation, leading to a net gain.
The framework is notable for the inclusion of offsets, which allow authorised
Land clearing in Australia, land clearing, providing there is a net gain in
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
, and for the fact that a monetary value is being placed on biodiversity. The "habitat hectare" has been defined as the trading currency of the framework, and provides a reliable and repeatable measurement of the quality of the native vegetation when correctly administered by an experienced assessor
The trading in "habitat hectares" is a form of
biodiversity banking Biodiversity banking, also known as biodiversity trading or conservation banking, biodiversity mitigation banks, compensatory habitat, set-asides, biodiversity offsets, are conservation activities that compensate for the loss of biodiversity with ...
, which occurs in the private market responding to the
supply and demand
In microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a Market (economics), market. It postulates that, Ceteris paribus, holding all else equal, in a perfect competition, competitive market, the unit price for a ...
of the available remnant vegetation.
The act is administered by the Victorian
Department of Sustainability and Environment
The Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) was a state government department that managed water resources, climate change, bushfires, public land, forests and eco systems in the state of Victoria, Australia. It was created in 2002 whe ...
(DSE).
See also
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Conservation in Australia
Conservation in Australia is an issue of state and federal policy. Australia is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world, with a large portion of species endemic to Australia. Preserving this wealth of biodiversity is importan ...
*
Environmental issues in Australia
Environmental issue in Australia describes a number of environmental issues which affect the environment of Australia. There are a range of such issues, some of the relating to conservation in Australia while others, for example the deteriora ...
*
Economics of biodiversity
There have been a number of economic arguments advanced regarding evaluation of the benefits of biodiversity. Most are anthropocentric but economists have also debated whether biodiversity is inherently valuable, independent of benefits to humani ...
External links
Department of Sustainability and Environment
Nature conservation in Australia
Biodiversity
Environment of Victoria (Australia)
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