This pre-application checklist has been developed to clarify which permits and approvals may be required for activities that impact on wildlife or Victoria's forests. This may include purposes such as research, education or management related to flora or fauna. 

You can complete this checklist to help determine if:

• a Research Permit or Education & Management Permit from the Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action (DEECA) is required under the Wildlife Act 1975 or the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
  

• a Forest Produce Licence is required under the Forests Act 1958 for research, education or management activities which involve threatened or protected flora.
  

• an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria is required for research activities
  

Responses are not stored or reviewed by DEECA or Parks Victoria.

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).

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. 

If your observation involves installing or erecting any structures or equipment (e.g. camera mounts, bird boxes) you may need a Forest Produce Licence (if located in State forest) or an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria.

• 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

• experiments on wildlife (including but not limited to behavioural studies)

• methods causing potential behavioural changes

• other activity involving interference or disturbance 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.

Please note that there are different applications for different permit types - for research and monitoring purposes go to Research Permits, for applications for education or management purposes go to Education & Management Permits. 

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.

• 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 Research Permits, for applications for education or management go to Education & Management Permits. 

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

Please visit MapshareVic to check current public land management arrangements if you are unsure if the site is located in State Forest. Step by step instructions for MapShareVic can be downloaded here. 

For the purposes of this checklist, please also select Yes if you intend to conduct any activity in the following locations:

• Brataualung Forest Park

• Delatite Arm Reserve

• Gunyah Rainforest Reserve

• Murrundindi Scenic Reserve

• Steavenson Falls Scenic Reserve

• Sylvia Falls Scenic Reserve

• Tarago Forest Reserve

• Thomson River Forest Reserve

• You Yangs Regional Park

• Otway Forest Park

• Cobboboonee Forest Park

• Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve

Based on the information provided, a Forest Produce Licence under the Forests Act 1958 is required in addition to a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.  You can apply for both of these permits in the one application. 

Please note that there are different applications for different permit types - for research and monitoring purposes go to Research Permits, for applications for education or management purposes go to Education & Management Permits. You will be able to apply for a Forest Produce Licence and a Flora and Faunca Guarantee Act permit at the same time using one of these forms. 

For further information on Forest Produce Licences, visit Forest Produce Licence or contact DEECA Customer Service Centre on 136 186 or forest.produce@deeca.vic.gov.au

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

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

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.

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.

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.

In Victoria, public land is managed by various bodies including Parks Victoria (which oversees National, State, and Regional parks) and DEECA (which manages State forests, Reserves, and other Crown land). For activities conducted on Parks Victoria managed land, an Access Agreement may be required. 

For activities conducted in State forest that involves cutting, digging or taking forest produce, you are required to obtain a Forest Produce Licence under the Forests Act 1958. For further information on Forest Produce Licences, visit our website. 

Please visit MapshareVic to check current public land management arrangement if you are unsure who manages the land. Step by step instructions for MapShareVic can be downloaded here. 

You may require an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria or a Forest Produce Licence from Conservation Regulator. 

• activities other than non-intrusive 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 from Parks Victoria or a Forest Produce Licence from Conservation Regulator may be required.

Based on the information provided, an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria or a Forest Produce Licence from Conservation Regulator is not required. If you are unsure, you should submit an application for assessment.

End of checklist

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

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

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

Based on the information provided, a Forest Produce Licence under the Forests Act 1958 is required in addition to a permit under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.  You can apply for both of these permits in the one application.  

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 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, 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 not required.

Based on the information provided, an Access Agreement from Parks Victoria 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 DEECA at environmental.research@deeca.vic.gov.au

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