MABA currently holds an Access Agreement for Research Activities between Parks Victoria and Moths and Butterflies Australasia Inc. 

 

 

BACKGROUND
 

While most moths and butterflies in Europe and North America are well understood, Australia’s Lepidoptera fauna is not. It is estimated that more than half of species remain undescribed with many species remaining unrecorded, uncollected and unrepresented in state and national collections. This knowledge deficit hinders understanding of the breadth of our biodiversity and its ecology, evolution and conservation. The goal of this research is therefore to better document and understand the diversity of Victoria’s Lepidoptera fauna.

 

 

PROCEDURE FOR LISTING NEW RESEARCHERS
 

• To be considered as a researcher on the permit, you must be a financial member of MABA.
   

• You must prepare and submit an application form and send it to the Permit Officer (permits@maba.org.au). Applications must be brief and no more than one page.
   

• The application must demonstrate your scientific capability and outline the nature of the research and your approach for public dissemination of your findings.
   

• The Permit Officer will assess your application and decide if it should be approved or rejected. If approved, the Permit Officer will direct you to pay the fee.
   

• For successful applications, you must then pay $50 for an annual permit, or $250 for a 5-year permit.
   

• Payment can be done by direct transfer to our MABA account, with “VICPERM_your surname” as reference, and then email the Permit Officer proof of payment and cc email to the Treasurer (treasurer@maba.org.au). The fee is to help offset the cost of liability insurance.
   

• The Permit Officer will maintain a register of all successful applicants, and submit a permit amendment to Parks Vic to add your name.
   

• Once request is approved by Parks Vic, your name will then appear on the permit.
   

• The Permit Officer will then email a copy of the new (amended) permit to you as the successful member applicant.
   

• At the expiration of each calendar year you must submit a report detailing a list of material collected to the Permit Officer.
   

• For those members holding an annual permit, renewal of your permit will occur on receipt of the report and payment of the $50 for the following year

 

 

CODE OF CONDUCT
 

• Members must agree to abide by all Parks Vic permit requirements including:

  • Notification of fieldwork at least 7 days ahead of beginning with precise locations if possible and general locations at a minimum.

  • Responding to queries by rangers and park managers.

  • Checking Parks Vic website for any alerts for Parks or reserves they wish to enter and abiding by any closures, warnings or instructions.

  • Checking the Vic Emergency and Bureau of Meteorology websites for any warnings, such as fire-bans or floods.

  • Abiding by Parks Vic general rules unless having permission to do otherwise (e.g. accessing tracks usually reserved for management vehicles).
     

• Members must abide by MABA requirements by reading, acknowledging and abiding by MABA’s Code of Conduct and noting the obligation for:

  • Checking websites for park and weather conditions.

  • Not entering Parks to do research on days of total fire ban or when otherwise unsafe to do so.

  • Carrying a first-aid kit.

  • Carrying vehicle recovery gear if using 4WD tracks.

  • Alerting a third party to planned itinerary.

  • Where possible not doing research alone.

  • Where possible being able to contact emergency services via phone, ePIRB or satellite phone.

  • Behaving safely and sensibly at all times.