Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p80
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 80/80)
Character Range: 301795–304430

Commissioner, provides a forum for governments, experts and stakeholders to coordinate and collaborate on strategies and actions for feral cat management.

    * The Australian Government invests in priority research to inform cat management through the National Environmental Science Program; and in priority on-ground interventions through funding schemes including the Saving Native Species program and the Natural Heritage Trust.

In addition, partnerships (including financial and implementation support) with governments, non-government organisations, First Nations organisations, community groups and individuals, and non-traditional parties (e.g. pet product retailers, private sector organisations seeking to invest in environmental management) will be key to successfully delivering significant reductions in the threats posed by feral cats, and hence in the achievement of conservation benefits to many of Australia's threatened species.

Outlined in Table 20 are the cost estimates for each objective in the plan, arranged according to approximate cost categories for the actions in that objective, where a very high cost is set as $5 million over 5 years; a high cost is set as $1 million over 5 years; a medium cost action is set as $500,000 over 5 years; and a low cost action is set as $50,000 over 5 years. Costs are estimated coarsely this way because the costs of actions will vary depending on many factors. For example, actions in more remote or less accessible locations may be costlier; some actions are contingent on prior actions; actions at prioritised sites cannot be costed until the prioritisation has taken place. Note that existing costs, such as the maintenance of cat-free fenced exclosures and islands, are not included. Where an action involves the refinement or redirection of government legislation, policy or effort, costs are similarly kept low. Objective 6 is the costliest of the objectives, as it contains the actions to create 10 new fenced areas and eradicate cats from 10 islands. To date, the costs of fenced area construction and maintenance have been substantially borne by the NGO/philanthropic sector.

      Table 20 Approximate national costs for each objective in the plan, and overall, based on the numbers of actions that are categorised as very high ($5 million over 5 years); high ($1 million over 5 years); medium ($500,000 over 5 years); and low ($50,000 over 5 years)

Objectives                             Very high     High        Medium    Low      Totals for each objective over 5 years
                                       $5 million    $1 million  $500,000  $50,000