January 2020 Eastern Victoria Bushfires & Biodiversity

2000 to 2005

2005 to 2010

2010 to 2015

2015 to 2019

1st to 9 January 2020

2000 to 2019 combined

Threatened species in North East and Gippsland across 6 Local Government Areas impacted by fire

The following is a combined listing of threatened species in 6 Local Government Areas (Alpine Shire, East Gippsland Shire, Mansfield Shire, Towong Shire, Wangaratta Rural Shire and Wellington Shire) declared to be in a State of Disaster (3 January 2020) in the fire areas of North East and Gippsland, Victoria. The Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Stirling Alpine Resorts are also included in the State of Disaster area. 

This list includes all threatened species across the 6 Local Government Areas in eastern Victoria, fortunately some species will have little or no impact due to their habitat or ability to move from fire areas.

* Species not likely to be impacted by fires in North East & Gippsland, Victoria

Note: - blank spaces indicate species previously on Advisory lists which have been reassessed as not threatened in Victoria.

Data Source: Information in this table has been derived from the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas (VBA), Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning, Victoria, 2021.  Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List (FFG Threatened List,  June 2022). Advisory List of Threatened Invertebrate Fauna in Victoria (2009),  Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria (2013)  and Department of Environment, Land, Water & Planning.

See also: separate lists of threatened species for each of the 6 Local Government Areas declared to be in a State of Disaster (3 January 2020).

• Alpine Shire
• East Gippsland Shire
• Mansfield Shire
• Towong Shire
• Wangaratta Rural Shire
• Wellington Shire
• The Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Falls Creek and Mount Stirling Alpine Resorts are also included in the State of Disaster area.

Feature species  

Note: Species geographic range maps are derived from the Victorian Biodiversity Atlas, 2020 and represent all known historic records and do not imply that the species is still present.

• Threatened birds
• Threatened mammals
• Threatened fish
• Threatened reptiles & amphibians

Threatened birds

Eastern Bristlebird

Dasyornis brachypterus brachypterus - Endangered, FFG Listed.

Ground Parrot 

Pezoporus wallicus wallicus   - Endangered, FFG Listed

Sooty Owl 

Tyto tenebricosa tenebricosa  - Vulnerable, FFG Listed

Threatened mammals

Broad-toothed Rat

Mastacomys fuscus mordicus  - Endangered, FFG Listed.

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby 

Petrogale penicillata - Critically endangered, FFG Listed

Eastern Pygmy Possum

Cercartetus nanus - Near threatened

Greater Glider (Southern)

Petauroides volans - Vulnerable

Long-footed Potoroo

Potorous longipes - Vulnerable, FFG Listed

Mountain Pygmy Possum

Burramys parvus - Critically endangered, FFG Listed

Southern Long-nosed Bandicoot

Perameles nasuta - Not on Victorian Threatened species Advisory List

Spot-tailed Quoll

Dasyurus maculatus maculatus - Endangered, FFG Listed

Threatened fish

A number of Critically endangered native fish have been rescued as part of the East Gippsland Water-life Rescue project. The project is designed to reduce the risk of a species becoming extinct, particularly in cases where their habitat has been impacted by ash and sedimentation entering streams from the fires. By rescuing enough individuals of each species and holding them in a secure aquarium facility it hoped reintroductions can be undertaken when stream conditions become suitable. Other species include; Yalma Galaxias (north of Orbost) and Shaw’s Galaxias. Macquarie Perch have been rescued from the Buffalo River near Abbeyard. 

East Gippsland Galaxias

Galaxias aequipinnis      Endangered, FFG Listed

McDowell’s Galaxias and Dargo Galaxias

The Mallacoota Burrowing Cray, and Gippsland Freshwater Mussel have also been part of the East Gippsland Water-life Rescue project.

Threatened reptiles & amphibians

Alpine She-oak Skink 

Cyclodomorphus praealtus  - Critically endangered, FFG Listed.

Diamond Python

Morelia spilota spilota - Endangered, FFG Listed.

Giant Burrowing Frog

Heleioporus australiacus - Critically endangered

Wildlife response & recovery

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) response for wildlife

DEECA (formally DELWP) set up special web pages with information concerning bushfire response: 

DELWP Biodiversity Bushfire Response and Recovery

Biodiversity Response and Recovery Newsletter - February 2020 pdf

Impact of the Victorian fires on biodiversity - Summary 

Impact of the Victorian fires on biodiversity. - Detailed report 23/1/2020 pdf 

Bushfire response: community information

Wildlife care response

Victorian Wildlife Rehabilitation Guidelines - 2023

Victorians Volunteering for Nature

Arthur Rylah Institute

ARI conducts research into the responses of flora and fauna to fire.

https://www.ari.vic.gov.au/research/fire

Zoos Victoria Recovery fund

Zoos Victoria recovery fund: https://www.zoo.org.au/fire-fund/

Threatened Species Recovery Hub

Conservation response to the 2019-20 wildfires

After the catastrophe: a blueprint for a conservation response to large-scale ecological disaster

Victorian Landcare Gateway  - Fire Recovery Resources

A wide range of practical fire recovery land management information on livestock, fencing, pastures, soils, weeds, native vegetation, riparian areas and erosion, wildlife, horticulture, assistance and support services available, and fire research and reports.  https://www.landcarevic.org.au/resources/fire-recovery/

Victorian Wildlife Rehabilitation Guidelines

The Victorian Wildlife Rehabilitation Guidelines were published in 2023. The guidlines contain 4 volumes (1. General information, 2. Mammals, 3. Birds, 4. Reptiles & Amphibians). The guidelines are aimed at advancing the standards of caring for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife from rescue, transport, monitoring and care through to release.  The guidelines have been developed by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in partnership with Zoos Victoria. Published 2023.

Research and monitoring of flora & fauna in fire affected areas

SWIFFT encourages information sharing on biodiversity related activities and projects which involve species or areas burnt in eastern Victoria. 

Please contact SWIFFT so we can compile a list of who is undertaking what projects on this page.

Add your project to Visualising Victoria’s Biodiversity interactive map. http://www.vvb.org.au/vvb_map.php

Select – 'Share' > 'Submit a project' and follow the prompts.

Response of native species to the 2019–20 bushfires and introduced predators in far East Gippsland

Robley, A., Cally, J.G., Murray, A., Bluff, L., Collyer, A., Borg, N. and Phillips, L. (2022). The response of native species to the 2019–20 bushfires and introduced predators in far East Gippsland. Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Technical Report Series No. 329. Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Heidelberg, Victoria. View Report

This study suggests that the 2019–20 bushfires had minimal impact on the immediate (6-months) post-fire occurrence of all assessed native species, including Long-footed Potoroos, in far East Gippsland. However, there was evidence that the severity of the fire did impact site occupancy in 2020. Lace Monitors appear to be the most impacted by the fires with both Long-nosed Potoroos and Long-nosed Bandicoots also being detected at fewer sites post-fire. Long-footed Potoroos were more likely to occur at sites with low fox densities. There was no relationship between the presence of feral cats or wild dogs and the occurrence of any of the monitored species. View full rport

East Gippsland's Range Restricted Flora

Despite the importance of East Gippsland for biodiversity, surprisingly little environmental research has been undertaken in support of on-ground efforts to conserve, maintain and restore species and ecosystems in the region. Over 100 plant species in East Gippsland are listed as vulnerable or endangered at the national- or state-level, while the status of a further 90 remains uncertain. Many of these plants exist as small and/or localised populations and, for a great majority, their known distributions were severely burnt in the 2019/20 bushfires. More details.

East Gippsland Water-life Rescue project

Rescuing threatened aquatic species after the East Gippsland bushfires. Source: DELWP.

Bushfire Recovery - community wildlife reporting

Report sightings of six key species within the 2019/2020 fire-affected (and neighbouring) areas.

More about the project.

Multi-species threatened butterflies in fire affected areas of East Gippsland

The Threatened Species Conservancy has undertaken over 200 surveys to establish the extent of population loss, provide a baseline for ongoing monitoring and provide advice on the recovery of the seven species  of threatened butterflies. Southern Sedge-darter Telicota eurychlora - Endangered, Large Ant-blue Acrodipsas brisbanensis - Endangered, Orange-ringlet Hypocysta adiante – Extinct in Victoria, Silky Hairstreak Pseudalmenus chlorinda fisheri , Chequered Sedge-skipper Hesperilla mastersi mastersi, Two-spotted Grass-skipper Pasma tasmanica -  Endangered and the Common Pencilled-blue Eirmocides absimilis.

Weed control post fire

Weed control can be a very important factor for consideration after a bushfire. There is a brief window of opportunity after fire to have a big impact on many weeds including some early invaders.

The Weeds at the Early Stage of Invasion Project has prepared a feature in the Early Invader Update; ‘Weed management and fire’ pdf. This pdf contains a synopsis of useful weed/ fire related projects and reports which could assist in undertaking weed control programs after fire events.

Early Invader Update; ‘Weed management and fire’ pdf

Weed management after fire 

View the four sessions on SWIFFT YouTube, recorded from 25 Novemebr to 16 December 2020.

Weed management after fire webinars

Citizen Science

Citizen Science Bushfire Project Finder  - http://www.csiro.au/bushfireprojects

Australian Citizen Science Association - Citizen Science Bushfire Response Project Audit

Further information

SWIFFT seminar notes contain further information related to this topic:

• Fire recovery and Citizen Science
• Biodiversity response and recovery - 2020 bushfires in Eastern Victoria
• Indigenous knowledge of ecology
• Learning from the Indigenous Fire Workshop, Cape York
• Threatened species population supplementation
• Zoos Victoria Fighting Extinction recovery projects