Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220:reg:1:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 2/9)
Character Range: 7965–11155

improved abatement methods is disseminated to potential users.
Mitigating the threat of invasive species is not only a matter of providing better technical solutions such as improved baits for pest animal management. It also involves understanding and addressing social, legal and economic factors; for example, through supporting the efforts of private landholders, leaseholders and volunteers to manage invasive species on their lands to achieve the desired outcomes for biodiversity conservation and primary production. In addition, research and development programs for managing vertebrate pest species need to integrate interests relating to both primary production and environmental conservation.
Regional natural resource management plans and site-based plans provide the best scale and context for developing operational plans to manage invasive species. They allow primary production and environmental considerations to be jointly addressed, and management to be integrated across the local priority vertebrate pests within the scope of other natural resource management priorities.
The national coordination of pest animal management activities occurs under the Australian Pest Animal Strategy. The Invasive Plants and Animals Committee, comprising representatives from all Australian, state and territory governments, has responsibility for implementation of the strategy. This threat abatement plan provides guidance for the management of feral cats within that broader context.

1.1.1  The review of the 2008 threat abatement plan
In accordance with the requirements of the EPBC Act, the threat abatement plan for predation by feral cats (DEWHA, 2008a) was reviewed in 2014 by the Department of the Environment (Department of the Environment, 2014).
This document replaces the 2008 threat abatement plan. It incorporates the knowledge gained in the intervening years and has been modified in line with recommendations from the review. The threat abatement plan aims to guide the responsible use of public resources and the best outcome for native species and ecological communities threatened by predation by feral cats. The plan seeks to achieve these outcomes by recognising the opportunities and limitations that exist, and ensuring that field experience and research are used to further improve management of feral cats. The activities and priorities under the threat abatement plan will need to adapt to changes as they occur.

1.1.2  Involvement of stakeholders
The successful implementation of this threat abatement plan will depend on a high level of cooperation between landholders, non-government organisations, community groups, individual volunteers, local government, state and territory conservation and pest management and research agencies, and the Australian Government and its agencies. Success will depend on all participants assessing cat impact and allocating adequate resources to achieve effective on-ground control of feral cats at critical sites, improve the effectiveness of management programs, and measure and assess outcomes for threatened species and biodiversity more broadly. Various programs in natural resource management, at national, state