Recommendations
Recommendation 1
2.125 The committee recommends that the
Commonwealth, state and territory governments prioritise their work towards
reducing duplication and inconsistency between the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 list and state and territory lists
of threatened species and communities, consistent with the aim of achieving a
harmonised national list capable of accommodating regional or geographic
listings within or across individual states. The committee further recommends
that the Commonwealth, state and territory governments work to establish
uniform and integrated processes for the future listing of threatened species
and communities.
Recommendation 2
2.128 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities investigate a
less complicated 'expressions of interest' process for the public to nominate
threatened species and ecological communities for further consideration of
their potential to be fully nominated by expert groups operating on a pro bono
basis, as suggested by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
Recommendation 3
2.132 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities establish
specialist scientific sub-groups to support the work of the Threatened Species
Scientific Committee.
Recommendation 4
2.133 The committee recommends that the Threatened
Species Scientific Committee, and specialist sub-groups, supported by the
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities,
commence systematic reviews of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 threatened species list, to be undertaken by
taxonomic group, to be completed within the next five years and to continue to be
undertaken at not less than five yearly intervals.
Recommendation 5
2.135 The committee recommends that the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 be amended to give the
Threatened Species Scientific Committee power to recommend that the Environment
Minister fund research programs for species or communities which are found to
be ineligible for listing under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999 due to data deficiency or geographical location, and
that the minister be required to respond to the Threatened Species Scientific
Committee's recommendations.
Recommendation 6
2.137 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government introduce into Parliament the proposed amendments to the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 relating to 'emergency
listing' of threatened species and communities as a matter of high priority.
Recommendation 7
2.139 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government amend the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation
Act 1999 to allow for the listing of threatened populations of
species in a manner consistent with the objective of harmonising listings and
listing processes with state and territory governments.
Recommendation 8
3.103 The committee recommends that the focus of the
recovery planning process be on the development of national level strategic
plans supported by short action plans for specific species designed to achieve
specific objectives against which their success can be measured.
Recommendation 9
3.105 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities adopt clear
protocols to implement streamlined processes that lead to the establishment of relevant
plans (including conservation advices, single species recovery plans, strategic
plans supported by action plans, and multi‑species and regional recovery
plans) within strict timelines. The committee further recommends that the
department's performance against those timelines be measured and made publicly
available.
Recommendation 10
3.107 The committee recommends that action plans be
developed with regard to the likelihood of available funds, and in a manner
that allows for the potential prioritisation of actions.
Recommendation 11
3.109 The committee recommends that relevant action
plans are developed in consultation with state and territory governments, as
well as non-government organisations, to ensure planned actions are
coordinated, supported and implemented.
Recommendation 12
3.112 The committee recommends that all action plans
contain key performance indicators for outcomes in specific locations against
which funding is directed.
Recommendation 13
3.115 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities conduct a
review of all recovery plans older than five years. This review should include
an evaluation of the extent to which actions identified in those plans have
been implemented and the success of those actions in recovering threatened
species and ecological communities. The report of this review should be made
publicly available and should consider where existing recovery plans can be
incorporated into national strategic plans complemented by short action plans
for certain species, as outlined in recommendation 9.
Recommendation 14
4.139 The committee recommends that, in developing
action plans, and allocating program funding, the Department of Sustainability,
Environment, Water, Population and Communities consider greater use of predator
exclusion fences and other forms of 'mainland island sanctuaries' for
threatened species.
Recommendation 15
4.141 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities develop clear
biosecurity strategies as part of action plans to protect island sanctuaries.
Recommendation 16
4.143 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities develop
regulations under section 301A of the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 for the regulation of controlled
invasive plant species within Australia. The Council of Australian Governments
should be involved in the process, to ensure that these measures are developed
in consultation with state and territory governments.
Recommendation 17
4.145 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities develop
specific research strategies in conjunction with relevant research
institutions, such as the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation and the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, to develop
biological controls for feral cats and other high impact invasive species.
Recommendation 18
4.147 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government target more environmental research funding and programs towards
effective control methods for invasive species.
Recommendation 19
4.149 The committee recommends that the Threatened
Species Scientific Committee considers listing 'wildlife disease' as an
overarching key threatening process under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Recommendation 20
4.154 The committee recommends that all threat
abatement plans contain realistic, measurable targets against which their
effectiveness can be measured.
Recommendation 21
4.157 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities conduct a
review of all threat abatement plans older than five years. This review should
include an evaluation of the extent to which actions identified in those plans
have been implemented, and the success of those actions. The review should be
completed within the next five years and subsequent reviews should be
undertaken at not less than five yearly intervals. The reports of these reviews
should be made publicly available on the website of the Department of
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
Recommendation 22
5.49 The committee recommends that the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 be amended to require the
identification of critical habitat for listed threatened species and ecological
community at the time of listing.
Recommendation 23
5.52 The committee recommends the Department of
Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities ensure that all
critical habitats for threatened species and ecological communities, as
identified in Commonwealth, state and territory recovery plans and conservation
advices, be compiled into easily accessible maps which are readily available
online and updated at regular intervals.
Recommendation 24
5.55 In light of the important contribution it
should make to the protection of habitat for threatened species and ecological
communities, the committee recommends that an audit be undertaken to identify
all critical habitat within the National Reserve System.
Recommendation 25
5.56 The committee recommends that the
Environmental Stewardship Program be maintained in order to continue to provide
assistance to private land managers to manage and protect habitat for
threatened species and ecological communities on their land.
Recommendation 26
5.85 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities assess the
success of private conservation organisations in establishing sanctuaries of
critical habitat for threatened species to examine what lessons could be
applied across the National Reserve System and how such private organisations
could play an effective role in improving outcomes for threatened species,
including within publicly owned assets within the National Reserve System. Such
a role must be in cooperation with and following consultation with public land
managers.
Recommendation 27
5.88 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government continue to support the important contribution of all sectors of the
community, including private sector and non-government organisations,
landholders and community volunteers, in delivering outcomes for threatened
species and ecological communities.
Recommendation 28
6.110 The committee recommends that, when the
Biodiversity Strategy is reviewed in 2015, consideration is given to
incorporating concrete targets that reflect the targets agreed to by Australia
under the Biodiversity Convention.
Recommendation 29
6.114 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government adjusts current funding under the Biodiversity Fund and Caring for
our Country to provide targeted funding streams for threatened species and
ecological communities. This dedicated funding should include funding for
implementation of specific actions within recovery plans, conservation advices
and threat abatement plans and advices.
Recommendation 30
6.116 In light of the evidence that feral animals
and fire regimes are two of the biggest threats to threatened species and
communities, the committee recommends that funding programs give high priority
to on-ground projects addressing feral animals and fire regimes.
Recommendation 31
6.120 The committee recommends that all funding
grants under relevant Commonwealth government programs, whether for the
management of threatened species, ecological communities, threatening species
or invasive species should include metrics to establish initial benchmarks and
requirements to measure the outcomes from the project against those initial
benchmarks.
Recommendation 32
6.122 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government adjust relevant funding programs to enable funding grants relevant
to threatened species and ecological communities to be awarded over longer
timeframes, subject to ongoing success against measured objectives.
Recommendation 33
6.125 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government develop and implement a national species prioritisation program to
guide decision-making in relation to funding for threatened species and
ecological communities. This program should be regularly reviewed based on the
best available scientific evidence.
Recommendation 34
6.127 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government establish the national biodiversity monitoring system and system of
national environment accounts by 2015, as recommended by the Hawke review and Australia's
Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–30.
Recommendation 35
6.130 The committee recommends that the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 be amended to require the
Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities
report, as part of the regular preparation of national accounts to Parliament
on the status of species, and communities listed as threatened under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Recommendation 36
7.112 The committee recommends that the Australian
Law Reform Commission conduct a review of threatened species laws to ensure
effective, comprehensive and consistent protections are in place across all
jurisdictions.
Recommendation 37
7.116 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government continues to work with state governments to improve the review,
audit and monitoring arrangements for Regional Forest Agreements, with a view
to ensuring that forestry operations avoid impacts on threatened species and
ecological communities.
Recommendation 38
7.119 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities conduct a
review of those strategic assessments undertaken under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to date with a view to
improving the process in the future. The committee recommends that this review
be publicly released.
Recommendation 39
7.123 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities conduct an audit
and evaluation of the offsets granted under the Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 to date, and make the results of this
audit publicly available.
Recommendation 40
7.125 The committee recommends that the Department
of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities engage in
extensive consultation with affected stakeholders prior to the introduction of
amendments to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
1999 to establish cost recovery mechanisms for environmental assessment
processes.
Recommendation 41
7.127 The committee recommends that the minister and
the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and
Communities ensure that conditions on approvals under the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 are kept as
straightforward as possible and worded clearly to ensure that conditions are
enforceable.
Recommendation 42
7.128 The committee recommends that the Commonwealth
government develop a new compliance strategy in consultation with the states
for monitoring and compliance activities relating to the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Recommendation 43
7.130 The committee recommends that the Australian
National Audit Office conduct an audit of monitoring of compliance with
approval conditions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity
Conservation Act 1999.
Recommendation 44
7.132 The committee recommends that the Environment
Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 be amended so that 'the
fisheries provisions under Parts 10, 13 and 13A are streamlined into a single
strategic assessment framework for Commonwealth and State and Territory-managed
fisheries to deliver a single assessment and approval framework' subject to the
objects of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
being upheld.
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