Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00346:reg:2:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00346
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 2 (pt 1/4)
Character Range: 14159–17340

2               General information
This document constitutes the National Recovery Plan for the Critically Endangered Spiny Rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens). The plan identifies the research and management actions necessary to stop the decline of, and support the recovery of, the species so that its chances of long-term survival in nature are maximised.  This Recovery Plan replaces the previous National Recovery Plan for the Spiny Rice-flower (Carter & Walsh 2006).

2.1                 Historical context
The first Recovery Plan, in effect under the EPBC Act from 16 December 2006, was reviewed in 2012 and in 2020/21 by the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW, previously the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE)) with the support of the Pimelea spinescens Recovery Team. Considerable achievements have been made during the life of the first Recovery Plan including the identification of numerous newly discovered sites resulting in a higher total population estimate. Meaningful research projects have been completed and have contributed to a better understanding of the species biology and conservation requirements (see 6 Implementation of the first Recovery Plan for details). The review of the first Recovery Plan also concluded that all threats and threatening processes described, continue to adversely affect the species. Consequently, a decision was made that a new Recovery Plan should be developed for Spiny Rice-flower. Responding to the review outcomes, this Recovery Plan builds upon the learnings and successes of the first Recovery Plan.

2.2                 Conservation status
The Spiny Rice-flower is listed as Critically Endangered under the EPBC Act. It is eligible for listing as Critically Endangered under Criterion 2 based on very restricted geographic distribution and severe population fragmentation (TSSC 2003). The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) (formerly Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Victoria (DELWP) assessed the Spiny Rice-flower using International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria, as required by the Common Assessment Method (CAM) memorandum of understanding with the Commonwealth government. The assessment found the species eligible for listing as Critically Endangered, due to the extremely severe past population reduction (DELWP 2021), and it subsequently was listed under the Victorian Flora Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (the FFG Act) as Critically Endangered in Australia, in June 2021.
Previously, at the species level, Pimelea spinescens was listed as threatened under the FFG Act (SAC 1996). Spiny Rice-flower was categorised as Endangered in the 2014 Advisory List of Rare or Threatened Flora (DEPI 2014), which had no critically endangered category.

2.3                 Taxonomy
Conventionally accepted as Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens (Rye) (1990), Family: Thymelaeaceae.
Spiny Rice-flower is a conspecific to Pimelea spinescens subsp. pubiflora (Wimmera rice-flower). While spiny rice-flower has smooth and hairless flowers, the flowers of Wimmera