Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287:reg:3:p99
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2025L00287
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 3 (pt 99/276)
Character Range: 411209–414466

evaluation of all indicators should occur after five years and nine years. The results of evaluation should be reported as appropriate to organisations involved in delivery of the plan, to community members and to external stakeholders (this should be reflected in the Communication and Engagement Strategy; see also section 5.1). The management group that is formed to coordinate implementation of the plan should coordinate annual reporting, following Best Practice Guidelines for Recovery Team Governance (DoEE 2017).

4.7         Research
Monitoring and evaluation require the support of an integrated research program to address critical knowledge gaps and test experimental management approaches. The development and implementation of a research program would benefit from the establishment of a hub bringing together interested researchers and key stakeholders, building on the strong networks that already exist. Ideally, this would be supported by a research coordinator role, and by establishment of a dedicated field research station (which could also contribute to community engagement and communication).
Further work is needed to develop a comprehensive and prioritised research plan, and some of the topics that should be considered are detailed below.

4.7.1        Cross-cutting research
    * Research to inform monitoring of pressures and native species and evaluate the effectiveness of management actions.
    * Research into the sensitivity of all threatened species to projected climate change, an assessment of overall biodiversity vulnerability to climate change, and identification of potential refuge locations.
    * Research to inform possible translocations and climate change interventions, including assessment of feasibility and risk, identification and surveys of source and destination sites, and associated monitoring.
    * Research to support reviews of threatened species listings for multiple taxa, including under‑studied groups such as freshwater biota.

4.7.2        Research to support control of invasive animal species
    * Research into rat density, activity and movement in and between different areas, including further research into arboreal activity.
    * Research into cat diet, genetics, movement and impacts on threatened species.
    * Research into relationships between rodent control and cat numbers, cumulative impacts on threatened species, and likely changes in impacts if numbers of one or multiple predators were reduced.
    * Investigation of the impact that rodent control may have on the Norfolk Island morepork population.
    * Research on how to abate species-specific pressures on threatened animals.

4.7.3        Research to support restoration of native vegetation and conservation of native flora
    * Experimental restoration of vegetation on Phillip Island, to adaptively improve restoration techniques and to benefit from the research opportunities offered by this case study of island restoration and ecosystem re-assembly.
    * Research into the connections between landform, microclimate and plant survival to identify potential priority areas for restoration, and possible experimental management to enhance the qualities of those areas (for example, to maximise moisture