Independent review

What did the draft Independent Review of Western Shield include?

The draft Independent Review of Western Shield (pdf, 241kb) was a report compiled by three independent scientists commissioned by the Executive Director of the then Department of Conservation and Land Management to undertake a review of the Department's Western Shield fauna recovery program. The review panel was asked to report on all aspects of the project's management, implementation and outcomes and make recommendations for improvements.

The terms of reference of the review panel are included as an appendix to the panel's draft report.

To assist the panel in undertaking the review, the department commissioned the writing of 12 review papers on a range of topics associated with the Western Shield program. The authors of those papers were given specific instructions on the scope and detail that their papers were to include. The terms of reference for the authors of the review papers are also set out in an appendix to the review panel's report. 

To further assist the review panel the department organised a one-day public workshop at which a summary of each of the 12 papers was presented orally. The department also organised a one-day closed workshop attended by the authors of the review papers and invited senior department staff and representatives from sister conservation agencies in other parts of the country.

Field trips were arranged to the captive breeding facilities at the Perth Zoo, to the department's experimental bait production facility at Harvey, the captive breeding facilities (Return to Dryandra) and the public fauna viewing facilities (Barna Mia) located at Dryandra Forest, and to the captive breeding facilities at Francois Peron National Park. At each of these venues the review panel members were able to meet and question Perth Zoo and local department staff involved in those aspects of the Western Shield program.

Public submissions

Public submissions to the draft Independent Review of Western Shield were sought, with submissions closing in 2003.