Wildlife Victoria announced as finalist in Technology Awards

Wildlife Victoria has been announced as a finalist in the Australian Not-For-Profit Technology Awards in recognition of technological excellence within the not-for-profit sector.  

The Awards are hosted by Infoxchange – a leading non-profit social enterprise advocating for increased use of technology to deliver social justice. 

Wildlife Victoria has been nominated for its innovative approach in recording wildlife-vehicle collisions across the state. 

Wildlife Victoria’s Emergency Response Service provides a vital service to the Victorian community, ensuring they have some to call 24/7 for wildlife assistance. Last year, Wildlife Victoria received over 189,000 calls for help from members of the public, assisting 114,636 native animals across 450 different species. Wildlife roadstrike cases represent a significant portion of calls with Wildlife Victoria recording a 288% increase in cases across the last 10 years. 

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are nationally recognised as a leading cause of injury and death to wildlife with an estimated 10 million native animals killed on Australia’s roads each year. An issue recognised across the country in addressing the problem is the inconsistency in wildlife-vehicle collision data.  

To address this issue in Victoria, Wildlife Victoria created a statewide environmental intelligence system to record every case reported to its Emergency Response Service. This system allows for identification of wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots, reveals seasonal and geographic patterns, and tracks changes over time. This innovation led to Wildlife Victoria’s Wildlife Roadtoll Action Program (WRAP) with the goal to turn intelligence into action. WRAP brings this important data directly to the people who can make meaningful change: local councils, road authorities, and state government. With clear, high-resolution evidence, we can help them to design intervention, prioritise investment, and address community concern with confidence. 

“We are incredibly honoured to be named as a finalist in the Not-For-Profit Technology Awards. Our Wildlife Roadtoll Action Program will make an immense impact not just on the native animals impacted on our roads but for drivers, wildlife rescuers and rehabilitators, and the wider community.” Lisa Palma, Wildlife Victoria CEO

Winners of The Awards will be announced 6 May at Infoxchange’s Technology For Social Justice Conference.