Recommendations
Recommendation 1
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth
Government strengthen its leadership role in the national effort to combat
invasive species by developing a robust national framework, in consultation with
State, Territory and local governments, to regulate, control and manage
invasive species. [see paragraph 8.12]
Recommendation 2
The Committee recommends that as part of developing
a list of invasive plant species of national importance, the Commonwealth,
States and Territories develop an agreed national Alert List. [see paragraphs
5.36 and 8.15]
Recommendation 3
The Committee recommends that those States and
Territories that have failed to legislate a prohibition on the sale of WONS
within their jurisdictions should act to do so as a matter of priority. [see
paragraphs 5.25 and 8.19]
Recommendation 4
The Committee recommends that the species listed on
the WONS list be reviewed and that other significant threatening species be
included as part of a new national control list of invasive plant species. [see
paragraphs 5.28 and 8.20]
Recommendation 5
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth,
States and Territories provide funding to enable the Australian Weeds Committee
to engage the CRC for Australian Weed Management to produce a scientifically
credible and robust national list of invasive plant species. [see paragraphs
5.51 and 8.21]
Recommendation 6
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth, in
consultation with the States and Territories, promulgate regulations under
section 301A of the EPBC to prohibit the trade in invasive plant species of
national importance, combined with State and Territory commitment to prohibit
these same species under their respective laws. [see paragraphs 5.51, 5.107 and
8.22]
Recommendation 7
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth, in
consultation with the States and Territories, produce a list in legislation of
taxa that prevents their sale and spread for each state or region. Nominations
for each taxon on a state or regional basis can be developed in consultation
with natural resource management agencies, state herbaria and members of the
general public. [see paragraphs 5.51 and 8.23]
Recommendation 8
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth
Government investigate the imposition of a 'polluter pays' principle where
importers pay for the cost of control and repair should a plant become a weed. [see
paragraphs 5.58 and 8.25]
Recommendation 9
The Committee recommends that the National Weeds
Strategy better clarify responsibility for funding eradication of ‘sleeper
weeds’ with purely an environmental or social impact. [see paragraphs 5.33 and
8.29]
Recommendation 10
The Committee recommends that investment in early
warning systems be increased for the detection and eradication of sleeper
weeds. [see paragraphs 5.32 and 8.30]
Recommendation 11
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth
Government place on the agenda of the Natural Resource Management Ministerial
Council, as a matter of urgency, the issue of progressing development of a
National Strategy for Vertebrate Pests. [see paragraphs 5.40, 5.48 and 8.32]
Recommendation 12
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government
take a lead role in Ministerial Councils and other appropriate forums to
accelerate progress on the development, implementation and funding of a
national system to deal with marine invasive species. [see paragraphs 6.123 and
8.37]
Recommendation 13
The Committee recommends that, as a matter of
urgency, the Commonwealth Government should develop programs to minimise the
threat of invasive marine species entering Australia's waters via hull fouling
or as a result of the mariculture industries. [see paragraphs 6.100, 6.104 and
8.38]
Recommendation 14
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth
Government should provide long-term funding for research aimed at identifying
and combating marine invasive species, particularly those which may threaten
marine parks such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and those that are in
the ports of Australia's trading partners and could be translocated to
Australia. [see paragraphs 6.105 and 8.39]
Recommendation 15
The Committee recommends that the Threat Abatement
Process (TAP) be reviewed to enable threatening processes to be listed prior to
threatened species reaching a critical stage. [see paragraphs 5.106 and 8.41]
Recommendation 16
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth Government
act urgently to ensure that:
-
all
listings on Schedule 5 of the Quarantine
Proclamation 1998 are made by species, not genera;
-
a
mechanism be developed to ensure that species identified as weeds of national
significance are automatically removed from Schedule 5; and
-
all
listings and applications for the import of plants and seeds be standardised
using the scientific names of species. [see paragraphs 6.69 and 8.44]
Recommendation 17
The Committee
recommends that the import risk analysis process be modified to guarantee
greater independence in their preparation. [see paragraphs 6.18 and 8.46]
Recommendation 18
The Committee
recommends that the Commonwealth place on the agenda of the Natural Resource
Management Ministerial Council the need for arrangements to be implemented for
environmental pest incursions in parallel with those currently in place for
threats to primary industries. [see paragraphs 5.143 and 8.48]
Recommendation 19
The Committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government take a leading role in relevant
international forums to seek better recognition of the environmental
consequences of invasive species, particularly in relation to current trade
rules. [see paragraphs 6.22 and 8.51]
Recommendation 20
The Committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government provide certainty of funding to
research institutions, such as CSIRO and CRCs, to enable them to undertake
long-term research projects. [see paragraphs 5.131 and 8.58]
Recommendation 21
The Committee recommends that, under the National
Heritage Trust, the Commonwealth Government initiate, develop and deliver
national community education campaigns on invasive species. [see paragraph
8.71]
Recommendation 22
The Committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government provide the relevant curriculum
materials to enable invasive species to be included in relevant schools program
across Australia. [see paragraph 8.72]
Recommendation 23
The Committee
recommends that the Commonwealth Government continue to provide support through
the NHT and Envirofund to community groups that deliver education and awareness
campaigns. [see paragraph 8.73]
Recommendation 24
The Committee
recommends that all tiers of government immediately commit to an eradication
program for all WONS and all locally significant invasive species within their
formal plantings. [see paragraph 8.75]
Recommendation 25
The Committee recommends that the Commonwealth, States and Territories,
the Nursery and Garden Industry Association and other stakeholders, including
conservation NGOs, establish a process under the proposed National Weeds Action
Plan to examine the merits of a mandatory labelling scheme on invasive garden
plants. [see paragraphs 5.76 and 8.77]
Recommendation 26
The Committee
recommends that the nursery and gardening industry give consideration to
labelling of all invasive plants which, while able to be sold legally, may have
invasive characteristics and should be managed responsibly. [see paragraphs
5.76 and 8.78]
Recommendation 27
The Committee
recommends that gardening and lifestyle programs should be encouraged to
include warnings about the appropriateness of the plants suggested on their
shows. Such warnings could require an indication of the country of origin of
the plant, the areas it is indigenous to, and whether it has proven invasive
elsewhere. [see paragraphs 5.82 and 8.80]