Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01713:body:0:p9
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01713
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 22419–25546

maintain their ecological character within the context of sustainable development (DAWE 2012):
1)        Moreton Bay in southeast Queensland,
2)        Great Sandy Strait on the southern Queensland coast, and
3)        Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.
Other Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance that occur within the modelled distribution of the water mouse and may provide habitat include Shoalwater and Corio Bays (Qld), Bowling Green Bay (Qld), Cobourg Peninsula (NT), Ord River Floodplain (WA), and Roebuck Bay (WA).
These wetlands all contain category I (intertidal forested wetlands) and category H (intertidal marshes) wetlands that do or may provide habitat for the water mouse, i.e. mangroves, intertidal marshes, tidal freshwater swamp forests, and tidal brackish and freshwater marshes.
There are water mouse records from four World Heritage Areas in Australia (UNESCO 2021): Kakadu National Park, Wet Tropics of Queensland, K'gari (Fraser Island), and Great Barrier Reef. It also occurs in the proposed Great Sandy World Heritage Area (2010).
Australia is a Party to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) whose objectives are to conserve biological diversity and promote sustainable development. The water mouse occurs in areas where coastal development is expanding due to rapid human population growth. A sustainable development approach is required to meet the international obligations of this treaty.
In 2019 the water mouse was downgraded from Appendix I to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) because it is not traded, there is no suspected or demonstrable potential demand for trade, and future commercial trade is unlikely (CITES 2019).

2.4                  Consultation
This Recovery Plan was developed through consultation with a diversity of partners. The consultation process brought together contributions from species and land management experts and land Custodians from a variety of organisations and cultural backgrounds to outline the current status of knowledge and information gaps across the water mouse distribution, identify threats, and outline potential management options. The Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has worked with all recovery partners who have demonstrated an interest in recovery of the water mouse to prepare this plan.
A draft of the National Recovery Plan for the water mouse was published online for an extended consultation period, from 4 February to 30 September 2022 during which time further consultation occurred with recovery partners and interested parties. Submissions were invited from all organisations, community groups, agencies and members of the public. Comments received, and additional insights provided, during the ongoing partner consultation period were considered and the content of this plan was updated accordingly prior to finalisation.

2.5                  Partners
The water mouse has an expansive modelled distribution across terrestrial and marine areas (and their