The Threatened Species Commissioner is to chair an Expert Panel to assist in prioritising actions to recover native species and ecological communities destroyed or damaged in the recent bushfires including natural assets and cultural values for Indigenous Australians.
The Commissioner, Sally Box, said the panel was formed at the request of the Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley.
“The impact of the 2019-20 bushfires across Australia on human life, property and communities has been severe,” Ms Ley said.
“The fires are also having a devastating impact on the environment, our native plants and animals, and our conservation programs.
“The Expert Panel will inform the further delivery of the Australian Government’s response to the fire events.
“These include priority emergency actions to support impacted animals, plants and ecosystems, as well as medium and long-term responses required to support the recovery of Australia’s environment.”
Ms Ley
Panel could draw on other expertise as required, including from the National Environmental Science Program, the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and the Indigenous Advisory Committee.
She said the Panel would also support and promote collaboration and coordination across different Government Agencies, non-Government organisations, scientific institutions and the private sector, so recovery efforts were coordinated and complementary.
She said the Panel might also be requested to provide advice on particular project proposals
Ms Ley said the Panel members had been selected for their expertise on key thematic and strategic priorities, including fire ecology, conservation biology and environmental decision-making.
Dr Box is to chair the Panel with Professor John Woinarski of Charles Darwin University her deputy.
Other members include Dr Stephen van Leeuwen of the Indigenous Advisory Committee; Dr Libby Rumpff of the University of Melbourne; Associate Professor Dale Nimmo of Charles Sturt University; Dr Jenny Gray of Zoos Victoria; Dr Dan Metcalfe of CSIRO Land and Water; and Dr Dick Williams of Charles Darwin University.
The Minister said Government experts from each bushfire-affected State and Territory would serve as advisers and other experts could be drawn on as required.
The Panel is to meet as required for an initial period of six months, with the possibility of extension, the Minister said.
