Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2011L01416:body:0:p3
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2011L01416
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 5779–8836

in a feasible, effective and efficient manner. The TAP binds the Australian Government and its agencies in Australia's response to the impact of cane toads and identifies the research, management and other actions needed to address the impacts of this species on Australia's biodiversity.

This plan should be read in conjunction with the two publications: The ecological impact of invasive cane toads (Bufo marinus) in Australia (Shine 2009a); and Cane Toads in Communities- Executive Report (Bureau of Rural Sciences 2009). These publications provide information on the scope of the cane toad threat and public perceptions of cane toads and their impacts across the known and anticipated range of the species.

1.1 Threat abatement plans
Under section 270 (A) of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), the Australian Government:
       * develops TAPs
       * implements the actions under TAPs that are its direct responsibility
       * facilitates the implementation of actions where other groups (e.g. states and territories, industry) share the implementation responsibilities.

The EPBC Act prescribes the process, content and consultation required when making a TAP.

The EPBC Act requires the Australian Government to implement TAPs to the extent to which they apply in areas under Australian Government control and responsibility. In addition, Australian Government agencies must not take any actions that contravene a TAP. Where a TAP applies outside Australian Government areas in states or territories, the Australian Government must seek the cooperation of the affected jurisdictions, with a view to jointly implementing the TAP.

The EPBC Act provides for the protection of Matters of National Environmental Significance, including listed threatened species and ecological communities, listed migratory species, wetlands of international significance, World Heritage properties and National Heritage places (Commonwealth of Australia 2006). A TAP may address threats to these listed matters specifically, as well as more broadly to species and communities under threat from the listed threatening process. As some of these matters may be affected by a specific threat, appropriate Matters of National Environmental Significance may also be addressed in a TAP.

The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities prepares a five-year project plan for each TAP and assesses progress on the main strategic actions contained within the TAP on a yearly basis. After five years, each TAP is reviewed to ensure the objectives of the TAP have been achieved.

Mitigating the impact of invasive species is not simply a matter of developing and applying better technical solutions. It also involves the development of better biological and ecological information, as well as understanding and addressing the social and economic factors surrounding the species. The need to move away from attempts at broad-scale cane toad control and eradication to the protection of key biodiversity