Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555:body:0:p16
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022L00555
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 43400–46487

the shared responsibility at all levels of government to manage and protect Australia's environment for all Australians.
The listed Koala also occurs in five World Heritage Areas in Australia (UNESCO 2021): the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, the Greater Blue Mountains Area, K'gari (Fraser Island), the Wet Tropics of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. It also intersects with a variety of National Heritage places such as the Australian Alps National Parks and Reserves, Warrumbungle National Park and the Royal National Park and Garawarra State Conservation Area.
The listed Koala is not listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). It is not traded, there is no suspected or demonstrable potential demand for trade, and future commercial trade is unlikely (CITES 2019).
The EPBC Act is the Australian Government's key piece of environmental legislation that provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places. These entities (including the listed Koala) are defined in the EPBC Act as Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). Consequently, the listed Koala is subject to regulatory decision making under the EPBC Act, which is triggered when an action has, will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact. These actions require referral to the Australian Government for assessment and approval under the EPBC Act to be carried out lawfully.
The EPBC Act also provides a framework to plan for the long-term recovery of listed threatened species and ecological communities through assessment to determine eligibility for listing, conservation advices and the development of recovery plans. This recovery plan is informed by the 2021 listing assessment and associated conservation advice (TSSC 2021). As national plans, these statutory documents guide collaborative investment and participation in recovery efforts by all levels of government and the broader community. The EPBC Act provides a significant foundation upon which long-term conservation planning and action is directed, and is a major step in reporting on Australia's international responsibilities in protecting biodiversity.
The EPBC Act is part of a broader framework that aligns legal protection with Australian Government program investment with biodiversity policy in order to direct focus on priority national-level matters. The Australian Government directly invests in the protection and recovery of Australia's biodiversity through the Natural Heritage Trust funding package. Environmental programs are delivered through the national Regional Land Partnerships Program with benefits for listed threatened species and ecological communities (Figure 3).

Figure 3. Policies, programs, strategies and regulations at all levels of local, state, territory and Australian governments that relate to the listed Koala recovery. The Conservation Advice (TSSC 2021) is the foundation document used in the development of the