Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220:reg:3:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017C00220
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 1/21)
Character Range: 88050–90896

3  Duration, cost, implementation and evaluation of the plan

3.1  Duration
This plan reflects the fact that the threat abatement process is likely to be ongoing, as there is no likelihood of nationally eradicating all feral cats in the life of this plan. The plan lays out measures that should be taken in the next five years to reduce the impact from the key threatening process of predation by feral cats and from the additional threats that feral cats pose through indirect impacts such as disease transmission and ecological changes.  Within the life of this threat abatement plan the focus necessarily must be on suppressing and managing the impacts of feral cats in targeted areas where they pose the greatest threat to biodiversity.
Threat abatement plans have a statutory review point within five years but have a formal life of ten years. Dependent on the degree of implementation and success of that implementation some or many of the objectives and actions in this plan may be valid for the full ten years.

3.2  Investment in the plan
Investment in many of the threat abatement plan actions will be determined by the level of resources that stakeholders commit to management of the problem. The Commonwealth is committed, via the EPBC Act, to implement the threat abatement plan to the extent to which it applies in Commonwealth areas. However, it should be noted that the Australian Government is unable to provide funding to cover all actions in this threat abatement plan across all of Australia and requires the financial and implementation support from stakeholders. Partnerships amongst and between governments, non-government organisations, community groups and individuals will be key to successfully delivering significant reductions in the threats posed by feral cats.
Outlined below are some estimates of costs of implementation of the actions within the plan.  These have been placed in this section instead of against each objective because it is difficult to fully cost the implementation of each action because of unknown variables.  In particular, research or field project costs are going to be highly variable dependent on the subject and location.  A more remote location, or one with difficult access, will cost more than an accessible site.  Other actions are contingent on particular prior actions (e.g. identification of high priority sites) and cannot be accurately costed until the prior action is undertaken.  What is presented here are estimates of different elements to actions within the plan to provide a guide to governments, researchers, land managers, island owners, community and others when considering what actions they may be able to implement.  Anyone looking to implement an action is strongly recommended to undertake their own budget exercise for their particular circumstances and outcomes