The Conservation Regulator is responsible for the regulation of public land use, native wildlife, biodiversity and fire prevention. We are a specialist regulator, established within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA).
Our approach is graduated and proportionate. We encourage compliance with the law through education about the risks and impacts of illegal actions on our forests and wildlife. We monitor compliance with the law and investigate alleged breaches of these laws. When appropriate, we enforce the law to protect Victoria’s public land and biodiversity for the enjoyment of current and future generations.
Our work is done in partnership with Victorian communities, Traditional Owners, land managers, co-regulators, and our other stakeholders to achieve better conservation outcomes.
Our mission, vision, and regulatory outcomes
Our mission
To be an effective, trusted, best practice regulator.
Our vision
To create and maintain liveable, inclusive, sustainable communities and thriving natural environments.
Our regulatory outcomes
We regulate to achieve three key outcomes:
- Equitable and safe access to public land and use of natural resources
- Protected natural and heritage values
- Sustainable communities – social, economic, and environmental
Our regulatory priorities
Each year we undertake a statewide risk assessment to understand the greatest risks to Victoria’s public land, biodiversity and wildlife. We use this information to identify a set of regulatory priorities for the year – the things that we can do to make the most difference in protecting our diverse landscapes and flora and fauna.*
In 2024–2025 our regulatory priorities reflected the trends we were seeing, such as increasing reports about wildlife welfare, changed public land use including increased illegal firewood take and unauthorised occupation, visitation rate increase and biodiversity decline, as well as the end of native timber harvesting on 1 January 2024.
Our regulatory priorities(opens in a new window) page outlines what we have achieved in addressing each of these areas.
*From 30 June 2025, regulatory priorities will be assessed and determined for a two-year cycle.
2024–2025 regulatory priorities
| Cruelty to wildlife |
| Illegal campfires |
| Illegal take of firewood |
| Illegal vehicle use |
| Protection of threatened species |
Our compliance and enforcement approach
Overview of our regulatory approach
The Conservation Regulator focuses effort on the most significant risks to biodiversity, wildlife and public land. We do this by considering:
- The level of risk non-compliance poses to the outcomes we are trying to achieve.
- Our ability to reduce these risks.
- The most effective use of our resources.
This approach recognises that it is not practical or appropriate to take compliance and enforcement action in response to every alleged or suspected breach. Our effort and actions are focused where there is the greatest risk to our regulatory outcomes, and where we can efficiently and effectively reduce that risk.
We consider factors such as whether breaches of the law were intentional, reckless or repeated, and the impact of the breach. This means our response will be different depending on the circumstance, from providing information and advice about how to comply with the law through to imposing fines, cancelling licences and permits, or prosecuting for serious offending.
We monitor compliance with the law to prevent harm to the environment wherever possible. Through monitoring we identify non-compliance and maintain a credible threat of detecting those who are engaging in illegal activities. We also take preventative action through media, stakeholder engagement, and other educational activities, to raise awareness of regulatory requirements and how to comply with the law, as well as encouraging the community to report suspected wildlife and forest crimes.
Our achievements
Our achievements at a glance 2024-2025
Engagement and education
5,508 | Calls and emails concerning wildlife |
11 | Priority engagement events attended |
1 | New document published to support education and compliance |
15,170 | Licences and permits issued or renewed |
256,619 | Visits to our website |
675 | News mentions of Conservation Regulator |
414 | Proactive patrols on public land |
2,983,091 | Social media impressions |
315 | Social media posts |
Enforcement
515 | Charges laid |
21 | Matters before the courts |
4 | Offenders convicted |
5 | Operations targeting identified priority areas and high environmental risks |
386 | Infringements issued |
148 | Official Warnings |
1,071 | People engaged during Operation Save Our Hoodies in patrols on public land |
1 | Enforceable Undertaking |
Understanding impacts
88% | New permission applications submitted online |
1,836 | Trees remain standing thanks to Taskforce Ironbark |
–26% | Unattended campfires reported |
+30% | Wildlife crime community reports |
+25% | Illegal take of firewood community reports |
| Significant increase in engagement across platforms | |
+198% | Social media impressions |
+17% | Visits to our website |
Updated