Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p23
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 23/80)
Character Range: 67614–70637

have targeted feral cat control programs in place, and views on the best methods to achieve feral cat control vary. Overall, trapping and shooting were the most common methods mentioned by groups in southern Australia, whilst managing fire was mentioned as the main control method more than trapping and shooting in the northern groups, probably in part reflecting the higher fire frequencies in northern deserts and savanna ecosystems. Many groups noted that the funding, equipment, regulatory approvals, information, or training required for lethal control of feral cats can be challenging for them to acquire. There were also some concerns about risks for non-target species (e.g. poison baits potentially being consumed by other animals, including dingoes), or that killing an animal without eating it was 'wasteful'. Instead, many groups preferred a whole-of-ecosystem management approach for controlling feral cats. For example, managing fire was cited as a way of reducing the predation impacts from feral cats (see Objective 8, Action 8.2).

Many consulted groups noted that views about cats in the broader community were more mixed, because community members may not have access to the information about cat impacts on native species and Country that rangers do, and because some community members feel that feral cats now have a place in the system. Many groups also noted many people in their communities made a distinction between feral cats and community cats, and that the number of community cats was increasing. The key results of the early engagement were similar across the surveys carried out in northern and southern Australia (see Appendix 7).

Refer to section 4.6 of the background document for further information and referenced sources, and summaries of the First Nations engagement are available in Appendix 7.

     4.6 Critical habitat, World Heritage properties and National Heritage places

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 (Part 7) stipulate that a threat abatement plan must state, among other things, areas of habitat listed in the register of critical habitat kept under section 207A of the EPBC Act that may be affected by the key threatening process concerned.

Critical habitat is registered for 5 species: wandering albatross Diomedea exulans (Macquarie Island); grey-headed albatross Thalassarche chrysostoma (Macquarie Island); shy albatross T. cauta (Albatross Island, The Mewstone, Pedra Branca); black-eared miner Manorina melanotis (Gluepot Station, Taylorville Station and (part of) Calperum Station); and Ginninderra peppercress Lepidium ginninderrense (part of Belconnen Naval Transmission Station, ACT).

Of these areas of critical habitat, feral cats were a major predator of nesting seabirds, including some threatened species, on Macquarie Island, and largely for that reason were eradicated in 2000, resulting in substantial recovery of several seabird species. There are no feral cats on Albatross Island, The Mewstone or Pedra