Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01376:reg:3:p7
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01376
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 7/13)
Character Range: 103134–106241

northern NSW within the range of M. integrifolia and/or M. ternifolia where gene flow between cultivars and wild Macadamia populations could potentially occur.

Public perception
Public perception that Macadamias are a plentiful species and therefore not threatened is an issue. This perception is created by the lack of differentiation between the visual effect of rows of healthy Macadamias in a plantation, the number of non-wild Macadamias planted in backyards and roadsides, and largely hidden wild populations. Recent projects undertaken by the Macadamia Conservation Trust in partnership with Healthy Land and Water, such as 'Wild About Macadamias' and 'Still Wild About Macadamias', have made significant achievements with regard to raising community awareness, particularly amongst local governments, there is still a large section of the community, from landholders to policy makers, that are not aware of the threat of extinction of wild Macadamias and/or do not consciously make an effort to protect and conserve wild trees.

Uncoordinated conservation
Macadamia species occur on a variety of land tenures throughout their range and within 15 local government jurisdictions across two States. Populations in both Queensland and NSW are recorded within conservation areas, on public lands such as road reserves and on private property. Given the diversity of land managers, conservation efforts are often limited to site management, the broader ecological needs of the species can be overlooked, and more strategic actions not coordinated.
Variations in legislation, resourcing and prioritisation of threatened species management between the States and local governments can also result in significant discrepancies in the ability of public agencies to assist in the management of populations of Macadamias on both public and private land or to undertake compliance activities. Threatened species data are often confined to point locations, with conservation planning and management prioritised partially on the diversity of rare or threatened species in any particular area or habitat type. This 'bang for the buck' approach has significant potential for oversight regarding Macadamia conservation and possibly many other threatened species whose ranges occur over multiple jurisdictions. Furthermore, a lack of information exchange between agencies and with relevant land holders can result in lost opportunities to improve overall management of Macadamia species, and a piecemeal approach to conservation.
A significant amount of research has been undertaken into the conservation status of Macadamia species (primarily due to their crop wild relative status), including studies on the effects of population loss, fragmentation and small population size.
This Plan recommends that an integrated approach that considers recent research findings is applied to conservation of Macadamia species across all jurisdictions.

Phytophthora and other diseases
Phytophthora root rot is a major problem for the Australian Macadamia industry and is a serious threat to wild populations (Akinsami 2016). Of