A report commissioned by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) last year found more than 1.25 billion animals were killed or displaced in fires in Victoria and NSW that summer.

And with predictions that severe bushfires will become more frequent with climate change, Western Victoria MP and member of the Animal Justice Party, Andy Meddick, brought a private member's bill to Parliament calling for the establishment of Wildlife Rescue Victoria.

With the support of the state government, it moved into a consultation and Wildlife Welfare Roundtable process to form an improved emergency response for wildlife.

"In many people's opinion the department was completely underprepared for the scope and the scale of the disaster that they were facing," he said.

"This left them somewhat paralysed about what to do because their first remit is for human life and property and then livestock and then wildlife tended to come last. The size of those fires was so huge that wildlife kept getting bumped to the bottom."

The overarching purpose of establishing a WRV committee was to advise the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) about how to manage volunteers undertaking wildlife rescue, Mr Meddick said.

A range of activities have since occurred to improve DELWP's response to help wildlife, including the development of the Wildlife Welfare Bushfire Response 2020 Action Plan and updating the Victorian Response Plan for Wildlife Impacted by Fire.

The Action Plan was designed with members of the wildlife welfare sector and outlines key activities to deliver improvements to standards and processes, enhance communication and engagement and to establish better methods of working with the wildlife sector.

Released in February 2021, the updated Response Plan defines how DELWP, partner agencies, contractors and volunteers will respond to wildlife welfare concerns arising during and after fires.

As a result of the roundtable, wildlife response has essentially been professionalised as a state-wide emergency service.

Among its many roles, the WRV committee is tasked with training and educating recruited and accredited volunteers to enable them to respond to wildlife in emergencies.

While he said there was still work being done to work out some of the details, Mr Meddick said this was "fundamental and in-depth reform".

Now, during a fire, there are activation triggers to determine if a wildlife response is required. Mr Meddick said wildlife liaison officers would now be in the control room during emergencies.

"They will provide feedback directly in those emergency situations so that it can be taken into account, so volunteers can be utilised and the lives of the animals saved. That's the primary function here."

One of the most significant outcomes from the Wildlife Welfare Roundtable was the formation of the Wildlife Emergency Support Network (WESN), bringing all aspects of wildlife rescue together.

When requested by the WESN, individuals can be deployed into defined wildlife emergency roles including field or triage-unit based vets, vet nurses, triage assistance and wildlife volunteers - carers, rescuers and transporters.

Members of the WESN include the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA), RSPCA Victoria, independent veterinarians, veterinary nurses, wildlife carers and rescuers, Wildlife Victoria and Zoos Victoria.

Some of this training has already been undertaken. Trialled by DELWP and Zoos Victoria in December 2020, a pilot online training course was delivered for 10 volunteers and nine field-based veterinarians.

A course for triage veterinarians and veterinary nurses has also been developed and trialled with ten veterinarians and ten veterinary nurses, which will allow them to be deployed as operational wildlife triage units when required.

Aside from strengthened communications between agencies for notification, activation and deployment, there are also plans to enhance communication with the public about wildlife during fires and to release targeted communications in support of emergency events.

Meanwhile, a Wildlife Emergency App will be activated prior to the 2021/2022 bushfire season. It can be downloaded from the Apple Store or Google Play.

DELWP Executive Director of the Biodiversity Division, James Todd, said DELWP was pleased to have developed the smartphone app "which enables the community to report bushfire impacted wildlife, simply by submitting information on the species, location, suspected injury and images".

Calls made through Wildlife Victoria will also be directed into the app's database.

"The information submitted via the app will be received directly by DELWP and used to inform our activities by emergency response teams made up of professionals and trained and qualified volunteers.

"The impact of bushfires on our wildlife and biodiversity are well known - that's why this app is so important to help us ensure they survive and thrive for years to come."

Mr Meddick said he was so proud to have played his part in giving a voice to the people who work in the wildlife sector.

"I'm really pleased that a lot that was put forward in that private member's bill is now being adopted."

He said the eyes of the world were on Victoria during those bushfires, especially the plight of wildlife, and it put Victoria in a situation to completely revolutionise the response.

"We've had great conversations and been involved in the process with the government from the very start. Right from the Premier and Environment Minister down, everyone was keen to make sure that what happened to wildlife in that period would not happen again.

"I'm really pleased - I think this is it and it's been done through that willingness from the department to work with us and get it done".

One other aspect to the reform he would like to see is a commitment to mental health support for volunteers.

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