Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 2/80)
Character Range: 3788–9503

plan, and Professor Sarah Legge and Professor John Woinarski for their support in preparing this plan.
Acknowledgement of Country
Our department recognises the First Peoples of this nation and their ongoing connection to culture and country. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as the Traditional Owners, Custodians and Lore Keepers of the world's oldest living culture and pay respects to their Elders past, and present.
Front cover: Feral cat © Copyright Joanne Heathcote

This threat abatement plan is jointly made by the following governments.

Contents
1 Summary...............................................................1

2 Introduction.............................................................5

2.1 Threat abatement plans................................................5

2.2  Review of the 2015 threat abatement plan..................................6

2.3  This threat abatement plan..............................................6

2.4 Consultation to inform development of this threat abatement plan................8

3 Cat definitions, ecology, distribution and abundance...............................9

3.1 Cat definitions.......................................................9

3.2 Cat ecology........................................................11

3.3 Cat distribution and abundance..........................................12

4 Cat impacts.............................................................13

4.1 Predation..........................................................13

4.1.1 Which extant native species are most susceptible to cat predation?..........13

4.1.2 Which ecological communities are most susceptible to cat impacts?.........15

4.1.3 Factors that amplify cat predation impacts............................16

4.2 Competition........................................................16

4.3 Disease ...........................................................17

4.4 Public amenity......................................................18

4.5 First Nations cultural values............................................18

4.6 Critical habitat, World Heritage properties and National Heritage places............19

5 Cat management........................................................21

5.1 Public support for cat management.......................................23

6 Guiding principles for plan development and implementation.......................24

7 Long term goal..........................................................28

8 Objectives, performance criteria, and actions...................................29

8.1 Objective 1. Coordinate and enhance the legislative, regulatory and planning frameworks.              33

Rationale..........................................................33

Performance Criteria.................................................35

Actions ...........................................................36

8.2 Objective 2. Plan and implement cat management programs within an evidence-based framework, and use this to help maintain broad stakeholder and community support.              38

Rationale..........................................................38

Performance Criteria.................................................39

Actions ...........................................................40

8.3 Objective 3. Undertake research on cat ecology and impacts to inform management undertaken across multiple objectives              46

Rationale..........................................................46

Performance Criteria.................................................47

Actions ...........................................................47

8.4 Objective 4. Refine existing tools and their use, and develop new tools, for directly controlling feral cats              49

Rationale..........................................................49

Performance Criteria.................................................54

Actions ...........................................................54

8.5 Objective 5. Prevent cats from spreading further, to islands that are currently without cats              57

Rationale..........................................................57

Performance Criteria.................................................59

Actions ...........................................................60

8.6 Objective 6. Protect the most cat-susceptible species: Remove and exclude cats from an expanded network of cat-free islands and fenced havens, and manage those havens to maintain or enhance their conservation values              62

Rationale..........................................................62

Performance Criteria.................................................67

Actions ...........................................................68

8.7 Objective 7. Protect species with moderate to high susceptibility to cats: Suppress feral cat density in and near prioritised populations of these species              70

Rationale..........................................................70

Performance Criteria.................................................72

Actions ...........................................................73

8.8 Objective 8. Reduce the burden of cat predation across all native species using integrated management of habitat and species interactions over large areas              74

Rationale..........................................................74

Performance Criteria.................................................78

Actions ...........................................................79

8.9 Objective 9. Reduce density of free-roaming cats around areas of human habitation and infrastructure              82