Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00031:body:0:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2017L00031
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 2792–5958

landscape scale and suppress rabbit populations to densities below threshold levels in identified priority areas
Objective 2 – Improve knowledge and understanding of the impact of rabbits and their interactions with other species and ecological processes
Objective 3 – Improve the effectiveness of rabbit control programs
Objective 4 – Increase engagement of, and awareness by, the community of the impacts caused by rabbits, and the need for integrated control
Duration and cost of the plan
Implementing the plan
Appendix A
EPBC Act listed species and ecological communities affected by rabbits
References

Introduction
This Threat abatement plan for competition and land degradation by rabbits establishes a national framework to guide and coordinate Australia's response to the impacts of European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on biodiversity. It identifies the research, management and other actions needed to ensure the long-term survival of native species and ecological communities affected by competition and land degradation caused by rabbits. It builds on the achievements to date and replaces the previous threat abatement plan for rabbits published in 2008 (DEWHA 2008).
While this threat abatement plan aims primarily to abate the threat to key environmental assets (threatened species and ecological communities listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and other matters of national environmental significance), it also recognises that rabbits have wider environmental impacts as well as social, cultural and economic impacts.
This plan should be read in conjunction with the publication Background document for the threat abatement plan for competition and land degradation by rabbits (Department of the Environment and Energy 2016a). The background document provides information on:
      * rabbit characteristics, biology and distribution
      * impacts on environmental, economic, social and cultural values, and
      * current management practices and research.

Threat abatement plans

The EPBC Act provides for the identification and listing of key threatening processes. At the commencement of the EPBC Act, competition and land degradation by rabbits was listed as a key threatening process and a threat abatement plan was developed.

The Australian Government develops threat abatement plans with assistance from other Australian, state and territory government agencies, natural resource managers and scientific experts, and facilitates their implementation. To progress the main strategic actions within the threat abatement plan, the Department of the Environment and Energy relies on partnerships and co-investment with other government agencies, industry and other stakeholders. An important part of implementation of the threat abatement plan is ensuring that knowledge of improved abatement methods is disseminated to, and adopted by, potential users.

Mitigating the threat and impact of invasive species is a matter of developing, applying and integrating a number of control methods, not relying on one method. It also requires understanding and addressing social and economic