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Message from NPWS

We are pleased to let the NSW Wildlife Council know we have launched a new online community wildlife survey. We are asking people across New South Wales to share their knowledge about local wildlife, including where they have seen wildlife over the last two years.

We value your knowledge of the wildlife in your area, including your understanding about their health and threats. It would be great if you could help us get a better understanding of where wildlife is across NSW by completing the survey at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/wildlife-survey. We expect it will take 10 to 20 minutes to complete.

We also need your help sharing the survey with your networks. We have attached some communication materials that could help you do this.

The survey is asking about the following ten animals:

• brushtail possums
• platypus
• wombats
• echidna
• koalas
• spotted-tailed quolls
• kangaroos (all species)
• dingos
• foxes
• deer

As wildlife rehabilitators, you will know a lot about your local wildlife. We do not need you to tell us about the animals in your care (you give us those data through other channels). This survey is an opportunity for you to let us know your thoughts on population changes for the ten animals as well as personal sightings you may have made outside of your caring duties.

A similar survey was undertaken in 2006. The results of that survey informed the NSW Koala Strategy as well as supporting broader biodiversity conservation initiatives.

The data from the 2006 survey, combined with the current 2019 survey data, will help us understand how wildlife populations are changing over time. We will get a better view of where these animals are, their health, and threats in their environment.

The Community Wildlife Survey is being funded as part of the NSW Koala Strategy. Data from the survey can help identify sites for priority action under the NSW Koala Strategy as well as forming part of koala monitoring across the State.

We encourage you to complete the survey and forward the survey to others who have data to share. Please let us know if we can assist with these communications in any way.

Kind regards,
Ron Haering

Senior Project Officer
Biodiversity and Wildlife Team
National Parks and Wildlife Service

Help protect our environment, economy and communities from the ‘Most Unwanted’ illegal non-native animals

NSW Department of Primary Industries is pleased to officially launch the ‘Most Unwanted’ campaign to encourage the people of NSW be on the lookout for and report non-native pest animal incursions in NSW.

The ‘Most Unwanted’ can cause significant damage to NSW by disrupting ecosystems, introducing diseases,  preying on and competing with our native animals for limited resources. Illegal trade of exotic wildlife often leads to animal cruelty and death.

The NSW Government is working with the people of NSW to prevent new pest species establishing in the state and we need your help to protect our environment, economy and communities from non-native animals that have the potential to damage our natural environment and industries

• Non-native animals don’t belong in NSW because they may
  • prey on native animals
  • compete with native animals for food and shelter
  • destroy natural habitats
  • introduce and spread exotic diseases.
• Help stop these species calling NSW home by:
  • reporting unusual non-native animals to NSW DPI when you see them
  • reporting the illegal keeping of non-native animals
  • never releasing an animal you have kept as a pet into the wild
• Your actions could help to protect the NSW environment, economy and your local community from the negative impacts of introduced pest animals
• If you see an unusual non-native pest animal, report it to NSW DPI by calling 1800 680 244 or reporting online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/sighting

The NSW Wildlife Council (NWC), on behalf of its 25 licensed volunteer wildlife groups, has provided its submission to the recent NSW Government discussion paper “Towards a risk-based approach to wildlife licences under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016”.

The NWC is aware that other submissions to the discussion paper put forward to the NSW government proposed 37 native mammal species that could be kept as pets; wombats, kangaroos, gliders, possums, quolls and wallabies are just 6 of the suggested 37 species.  

The NWC does not support any expansion of the keeping of native animals as pets and especially changes that would consider including threatened species.

In its Keeping Native Animals as Pets submission NWC said in part:

It is an acknowledged part of human nature that many people wish to confine native animals in a captive situation for their own personal pleasure with little or no consideration given to conservation of any particular species – simply to have and to hold, to interact with, to look at and own.

Since the advent of the wildlife licensing systems under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, there have been a number of concerted attempts by lobbyists to relax regulations in NSW to permit the holding of an increased number of mammal species as pets.

The rehabilitation sector has vigorously opposed this lobbying from the standpoint that on conservation and animal welfare grounds native animals should be free-living species, in their endemic habitat in appropriate family structures where they can exhibit natural behaviours and normal mating practices. 

We are collaborating with key partners on this campaign, and to read more about the complex issues of this proposal visit www.wild4life.org.au and www.wildforlife.org.au to find out why this is such an important issue right now which needs your attention and action.

The Submission in full can be found here:  https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Licences-and-permits/reforms-submissions-organisations-nsw-wildlife-council.pdf?la=en&hash=8E0E3E50CD469C5CE4A7F4818DBBA61E164528F9