WildNet platform
As Queensland's trusted source for priority biodiversity information, WildNet is home to over 5.3 million records encompassing wildlife sightings, survey results, species profiles and multimedia. This resource is essential for informed decisions, effective planning, scientific advancement and better conservation results that benefit our communities.
WildNet contains information on more than 21,000 species that occur in Queensland. The database includes:
- Information about each species including nomenclature, conservation statuses and notes about their distribution, habitat etc.
- Species location records and associated metadata for both incidental and systematic surveys
- Multimedia resources such as documents, images, maps, sounds, websites related to species and reserves
- Species lists for a range of Queensland areas including reserves, local government areas and catchments
- Additional metadata about datasets such as source and project information.
Not all species are represented in WildNet. WildNet data is focused on species regulated under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, the Queensland Biosecurity Act 2014 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The taxa represented in WildNet are:
Animals of the following groups that are native, or declared pests:
- Amphibians
- Birds
- Fishes (freshwater and cartilaginous)
- Mammals
- Reptiles
- select invertebrate groups.
Plants and other non-animal kingdoms:
- species that are native, naturalised, doubtfully naturalised or formerly naturalised in Queensland.
A full list of the species represented in WildNet is available for download from the Open Data Portal.
Modernisation project
In an effort to enhance the system's capabilities, the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) is in the process of executing the WildNet modernisation project.
The project is focused on enhancing the capabilities of WildNet, transforming it into a modern, innovative Queensland Biodiversity Data Repository. This will serve as an asset to government and the community, facilitating a productive experience for data access and analysis.
Project steps
- Develop automated dataset ingestion pipelines to efficiently integrate data from a prioritised array of sources.
- Update templates to streamline the data ingestion process and provide comprehensive guidance on how to submit data to WildNet.
- Transform the WildNet application to be more user-friendly while offering enhanced features and functionalities.
- Reconstruct the data API for WildNet to ensure robust data exchange, supporting seamless access to biodiversity information for various user needs.
- Refresh the Species List and Species Profile web application, to enhance ease of accessibility of information and locations of Queensland’s priority species.
The modernisation project will utilise new technology to streamline and automate data management, significantly improving community access to up-to-date species information.
The data housed within WildNet is being migrated to a new cloud data platform with robust security controls and improved data access capabilities. Access to biodiversity data will be improved for departmental staff, industry and community users by delivering a new and improved system and user interface. The Project will also deliver a suite of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which will ensure ease of accessibility for both internal stakeholders and the broader public.
Project timing
In July 2023, DETSI launched the delivery phase of the WildNet modernisation project, marking the beginning of a transformative journey set to conclude by June 2025. This extensive two-year project timeline ensures that each step from development to deployment is executed with precision and in alignment with stakeholders' needs.
One key project deliverable is the creation and dissemination of comprehensive training materials and user documentation. Development of these resources will commence in January 2025 with collaborative review and stakeholder engagement continuing through the end of June 2025. The goal is to equip our users with the knowledge and tools needed to make the most of the new WildNet platform, ensuring a smooth and informed transition for all involved.
The full transition to the updated WildNet platform is scheduled for May 2025. All users will be migrated to the new system which provides improved features, usability, and performance.
June 2025 will mark the formal conclusion of the modernisation project, paving the way for WildNet's business as usual operations from July 2025 onwards. Post-launch, we will continue to support our users in adapting to the new system, gathering feedback for continuous improvements, and ensuring that WildNet remains a cutting-edge resource for biodiversity information and environmental management in Queensland.
Accessing WildNet data
WildNet information that is approved for publication is available in a number of ways including:
- Species profile search—an online tool to find species information such as species names, notes and images and download species locations from the WildNet database.
- Species lists—a tool to generate species lists for Queensland’s protected areas, local government, forestry and nominated areas.
- Biomaps—an online mapping system to access published WildNet records and other biodiversity related spatial layers and generate environmental reports including WildNet species lists reports for selected properties and drawn areas.
- Environmental reports online—a tool to generate environmental reports including WildNet species lists reports for nominated properties (Lot on Plan or street address) and tenure numbers.
- Qld wildlife data API—a platform that retrieves species names, profiles, notes, statuses, images, species survey locations and project information from the WildNet database.
- Queensland Globe—WildNet records are displayed in the Biota (Flora & Fauna) theme.
- Atlas of Living Australia—a subset of WildNet records are periodically extracted for incorporation within the atlas.
A number of WildNet products are also published in the Queensland Government Open Data portal:
- WildNet wildlife records - published - This is a subset of the sighting records from WildNet. It contains the records approved for release (by data providers), that are not classed as erroneous or duplicate, that have a location precision equal to or less than 10000 metres, do not have a count of zero and for taxa not listed as confidential.
- Queensland Confidential Species - This is a list of species that are sensitive to human disturbance or poaching. All records of these taxa are restricted from public view.
- Generalised distribution and densities of Queensland Wildlife - Species distributions and densities generalised to a 10 km grid resolution based on WildNet records.
- Conservation status of Queensland Wildlife - The names and conservation statuses of Queensland flora, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and some fish and invertebrate groups based on WildNet data.
Restricted Access Species Data
WildNet comprises of many datasets, many of which are publicly accessible while others are restricted. The primary reasons for restrictions on datasets are:
- Non-Government Owned Data: Data that is owned by private or non-government entities that has been shared with WildNet under a contract restricting the use and publication of the data.
- Sensitive Species Data: Records of species which are sensitive to human disturbance. These are restricted as unrestrained disclosure of their locations could potentially endanger these species by exposing them to risks such as poaching and habitat destruction.
While restricted data cannot be viewed directly, it contributes to generalised and aggregated products such as Species lists and the Generalised distribution and densities of Queensland Wildlife.
WildNet is currently working to align the management and publication of biodiversity data with the Restricted Access Species Data Framework (RASD).
Data usage
WildNet serves as a central repository of biodiversity data that permeates various products and processes within Queensland, both for public and internal governmental use. For the community, it offers reliable information through Species lists, interactive BioMaps, and extensive datasets on the open data portal.
Within the department, authorised personnel utilise the raw data for informed decision-making, species nominations, and as part of the statutory criteria for assessments. Business units like Environmental Services and Regulation, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Science, and Environment and Heritage Policy and Programs all utilise WildNet for critical investigative, planning, and decision-making activities.
While WildNet is a vital resource within the department, not all decisions rely solely on WildNet. WildNet data is used in conjunction with other datasets to create products for use in decision making and assessment processes. Examples of products that use WildNet data include:
- Essential Habitat Mapping
- Protected Plants Trigger Map
- Matters of State Environmental Significance
- Koala Habitat Mapping
- Biodiversity Planning Assessments
- Aquatic Conservation Assessments
Sources of WildNet data
The information in WildNet is collated from many sources including government research and monitoring, private and university research programs, business, natural resource management bodies and select citizen science programs. Datasets may be ingested into WildNet through a system-to-system connection, through statutory processes such as permits or contributed to the WildNet team on a template.
Ensuring the quality of data in WildNet is paramount to maintain its integrity, credibility and useability in assessment and decision making, which is why not all datasets can be integrated into the system. When evaluating datasets contributed to WildNet, DETSI considers several aspects, such as:
- The taxonomic groups being surveyed, and whether those taxa are held in WildNet
- The methodology of the data collection, and whether a recognised, repeatable, scientific methodology has been used
- The knowledge, skills and experience of people responsible for identifying sightings
- Any restrictions on use of the data placed on DETSI by the data owner
This additional dataset information is held in WildNet to assist data users to determine the most appropriate use of the data. For data that is not used in WildNet, DETSI encourages this to be submitted/uploaded into other species platforms such as Atlas of Living Australia (ALA).
Contributing data to WildNet
WildNet accepts biodiversity data from organisations and private individuals. The most common types of biodiversity data we receive are:
- Incidental sighting information
- Systematic survey data
- Information or multimedia resources about a species
For all data contributed to WildNet, our curation team assess the following:
- The taxonomic groups being surveyed: if data related to taxa that are not represented in WildNet, we are unable to ingest the data.
- The methodology of the data collection, and whether a recognised, repeatable, scientific methodology has been used.
- The knowledge, skills and experience of people responsible for identifying sightings. It is important to know that identification has been confirmed by an appropriate person to determine the accuracy of the records. Some species are readily identifiable (eg. koalas, emus and echidnas) whereas others may require expertise or genetic testing to confirm the identification.
- The completeness and accuracy of the data: the data must comply with the data template. The mandatory field must be populated, and the information in each field must be valid. If there are errors in the template, the data cannot be ingested.
- Any restrictions on use of the data placed on WildNet by the data owner. If the data owner places restrictions on how WildNet can use or share data, the data may not be able to be used in products or processes that involve other state, local, and federal government agencies, contractors, consultancies or community groups.
During the upgrade of WildNet, newly acquired data will be held securely until the new platform becomes operational.
Current data input is a process, and the time needed to load datasets into WildNet varies, primarily dictated by data volume and quality. Quick loading is possible when data is in the WildNet spreadsheet format with mandatory fields correctly filled. When errors are present or fields are missing, dataset curation slows significantly. The platform's upgrade will enhance data entry procedures, yet it remains crucial to ensure that all information is accurately completed on the form prior to submission for upload.
Data tied to permit Returns of Operations will continue to be managed through the permitting system. However, data directly submitted to WildNet will be acknowledged upon entry, and contributors will be informed about the records incorporated.
If you have biodiversity data that you would like to contribute to WildNet, please contact WildNet@des.qld.gov.au
Contacts:
WildNet@des.qld.gov.au – contact for queries relating to the collection and collation of biodiversity data
Wildlife.Online@des.qld.gov.au - contact for queries relating to the species list application
Wildlife – contact for queries relating to human/wildlife interactions and for permits
Qld Museum ‘ask an expert’ – contact for assistance identifying species