Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00270:body:0:p84
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00270
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 245942–248932

Act; Action statements are made under the Victorian FFG Act.

8.3.2             Social and economic considerations
The pre-eminent purpose of this Recovery Plan is to stop the decline and support the recovery of Leadbeater's possum so that its chances of long-term survival in nature are maximised. In making a recovery plan for a threatened species, the EPBC Act requires, among other things, that regard must be had to minimising any significant adverse social and economic impacts, consistent with the principles of ecologically sustainable development. However, the EPBC Act does not require that Recovery Plans provide a comprehensive assessment or appraisal of the social and economic values of proposed actions. The Recovery Plan is not required to deliver actions based on a cost-benefit analysis. This section presents available information, noting that some of the data and implications are contested. This Plan does not attempt to resolve these contested perspectives.
Actions in this Recovery Plan largely centre on planning for the protection and enhancement of current and future suitable habitat for Leadbeater's possum. Almost all of the known distribution of Leadbeater's possum is on public land variously managed for multiple purposes and therefore subject to various public policy, regulatory and management action with associated costs and benefits to the community.
Actions in the Recovery Plan have potential benefits associated with their implementation. The extent of adverse impacts will be dependent on the specifics of the application of each action, many of which will be determined during the implementation of the Recovery Plan. Section 8.4 Affected interests outlines those existing organisations, and the individuals that they represent, that may be affected by implementation of the actions proposed in this Plan.
The extent of any proposed land use change resulting from actions outlined in the Plan is not yet known. It will be determined by actions under Objective 2 in parallel with future Victorian government policy on the future tenure and management of ex public forestry land, beyond January 2024.
The Central Highlands region has a variety of land uses including plantation timber, water supply, recreation, tourism, and carbon sequestration and storage, and conservation reserves (Dench McClean Carson 2016; Keith et al. 2016). Actions within this Recovery Plan will provide opportunities for enhancement of other values.

Water provisioning
Forests provide vital hydrological services in Victoria in supplying drinking water to many communities (Department of Environment and Primary Industries 2014e). The mountain ash forests are significant catchment areas for Melbourne's water supply. Ash forests cover just under half this catchment area, but yield 80% of the stream flow because they grow on the higher rainfall sites (Benyon et al. 1996). Approximately 20% of the mountain ash forest of this catchment area is in closed water catchments