Pre-Application Checklist - Research Permits

Researchers can complete this simple to use pre-application checklist to help determine if:

a Research Permit from Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is required under the Wildlife Act 1975 or the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria is required for research activities

The checklist has been developed to clarify which permits and approvals may be required.

Responses are not reviewed by DELWP or Parks Victoria, and are deleted once a week.

Native Wildlife

1. Does your research project involve native wildlife (either in situ in the wild or held in captivity)? *

Yes No

Under the Victorian Wildlife Act 1975 “wildlife” is defined as:

any animal of a vertebrate taxon other than mankind which is indigenous to the whole or part or parts of Australia or its territories or territorial waters, whether or not it occurs elsewhere;
the following non-indigenous species: Chital deer, Hog Deer, Fallow Deer, Red Deer, Rusa Deer, Sambar Deer, Pheasants, Partridges, European and Japanese Quail and California Quail
whales, dolphins or seals
any wildlife hybrids except as is otherwise expressly provided in any such Order. This includes any such animal or any member of a taxon which is bred or kept in captivity or confinement.

Wildlife includes any form, whether alive or dead, captive or wild. It also includes the skin, pelage, plumage, fur, skeletal material, organs, blood, tissue and eggs (including any part of an egg).

1a. Does your research involve only observational studies of wildlife in the wild? *

Yes No

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is not required. However, a permit would be required if approaching closer to the minimum prescribed distances specified for seals, dolphins and whales in the Wildlife (Marine Mammal Regulations) 2019.

1b. Does your research involve any of the following activities involving wildlife: *

Yes No

capture/trapping
euthanising
taking blood/tissue samples
banding
ear tagging/microchipping or other forms of marking
use of baited cameras, or use of call playback
translocating or relocating animals
keeping, breeding or disposing of wildlife

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is not required.

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is required.

Flora

2. Does your research project involve native flora, fungi or lichen? *

YesNo

Flora is defined as any plant-life which is indigenous to Victoria whether vascular or non-vascular and in any stage of biological development and includes any other living thing generally classified as flora.

It includes whole or parts of plants, including roots, seeds, flowers, leaves or any other part.

2a. Does your research include any of the following activities in relation to flora or fungi listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) and located on public land? *

Yes No

take or remove (whole or parts)
killing
disturbing

For information on protected flora go to Protected Flora and Listed Fish

For information on threatened flora go to Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List

Please note that there are different applications for taking protected flora – for applications for research and monitoring purposes go to Wildlife Research Permits

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 is not required.

Based on the information provided a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 is required.

Fish

3. Does your research project involve fish? *

Yes No

Fish are defined as -

all species of vertebrate aquatic fauna other than mammals, reptiles, birds and amphibians;
sharks, rays, lampreys and other cartilaginous fish;
oysters and other aquatic molluscs;
aquatic crustaceans;
echinoderms.

A permit may be required under the Victorian Fisheries Act 1995. Further information is available from the Victorian Fisheries Authority

3a. Do you propose to conduct research on any native fish species listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988? *

Yes No

For information on threatened fish go to Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 is not required.

Based on the information provided a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 is required.

Invertebrates

4. Do you propose to conduct any research on terrestrial invertebrates listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988? *

Yes No

For information on threatened invertebrates go to Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is not required.

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is required.

5. Do you propose to conduct any research on threatened aquatic invertebrates listed as threatened under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988?? *

Yes No

For information on threatened invertebrates go to Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act Threatened List

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is not required.

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is required.

Public Land Access

6. Do you propose to conduct any research on land managed by Parks Victoria? *

YesNo

Please visit MapshareVic to check current public land management arrangements. Step by step instructions for MapShareVic can be downloaded here.

You may require an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria for research activities.

6a. Does your research require a permit under the Wildlife Act or Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act and/or involve any of the following activities? *

Yes No

activities other than observation only; or
activities other than what might be undertaken by a regular park visitor; or
leaving equipment within a park, including markers, stakes, fences, nets, traps, cameras; or
removal of anything from a park; or
disturbance of soil (i.e. soil, rock, sand, sediment disturbance including but not limited to pitfall traps, remote camera trap poles, sampling, soil probes, temperature loggers, etc.); or
access to parks or areas of parks that are usually closed to park visitors.

Based on the information provided, an Access Agreement is required.

Based on the information provided, an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria for research activities is not required. If you are unsure, you should submit an application for assessment.

7. Do you propose to conduct any research within a Victorian State Forest? *

Yes No

A Forest Research Permit may be required. Please contact the relevant DELWP District Manager for advice by contacting the DELWP Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or at customer.service@delwp.vic.gov.au

End of checklist

Click 'Next' for a summary of required permits based on the information provided.

Summary of Required Permits

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 from DELWP is required.

Based on the information provided a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 from DELWP is required.

Based on the information provided, an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria is required. Click here for more information and to start an application.

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Wildlife Act 1975 is not required.

Based on the information provided, a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 is not required.

Based on the information provided, an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria is not required.

For further information on Wildlife Act 1975 and Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 permits please contact DELWP at environmental.research@delwp.vic.gov.au

For further information on Access Agreements please contact Parks Victoria at accessagreements@parks.vic.gov.au

Please provide your email address if you wish to receive a copy of your response