Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00858:body:0:p22
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L00858
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 59480–63237

pigs may consume eggs and chicks, disturb breeding birds, damage habitat through soil compaction, spread plant diseases, create tracks that provide predator access, and facilitate weed invasion that may bind soil or reduce foraging opportunities. By rooting in the leaf litter layer, pigs disturb the critical habitat feature that is important for Black-breasted Button-quail.

"Predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral pigs" has been listed as a Key Threatening Process under the EBPC Act, and a threat abatement plan has been prepared (Commonwealth of Australia 2017a, 2017b).

Threat prioritisation

Each of the threats outlined above has been assessed to determine the risk posed to the Black-breasted Button-quail population using a risk matrix. This in turn determines the priority for actions outlined below. The threats were considered in context of the current management regimes throughout its range. The impact of that threat has been assessed assuming that existing management measures continue to be applied appropriately. If management regimes change then the level of risk associated with threats may also change.

The risk matrix considers the likelihood of an incident occurring and the consequences of that incident. Threats may act differently in different parts of the species' range and at different times of year, but the precautionary principle dictates that the threat category is determined by the subpopulation at highest risk. Population-wide threats are generally considered to present a higher risk.

The risk matrix uses a qualitative assessment drawing on peer reviewed literature and expert opinion. In some cases the consequences of activities are unknown. In these cases, the precautionary principle has been applied. Levels of risk and the associated priorities for action are defined as follows:

      Very High  immediate mitigation action required.
      High       mitigation action and an adaptive management plan required; the precautionary principle should be applied.
      Moderate   obtain additional information and develop mitigation action if required.
      Low        monitor the threat occurrence and reassess threat level if likelihood or consequences change.

Table 4. Black-breasted Button-quail Risk Matrix
Likelihood of occurrence  Consequences
Not significant           Minor         Moderate                              Major                                                             Catastrophic
Almost certain                             * Predation by cats and foxes         * Habitat loss caused by clearing for large-scale agriculture     * Weeds altering habitat
                                           * Feral pig rooting and predation     * Habitat loss caused by forestry plantations
                                                                                 * Habitat degradation caused by domestic stock grazing
                                                                                 * Habitat loss caused by urban development and mining
Likely                                                                                                                                             * Increase in frequency, scale and/or intensity of fire
                                                                                                                                                   * Increased frequency and/or length of droughts
Possible
Unlikely
Unknown

Categories for likelihood are defined as follows:

Almost certain: expected to occur every year

Likely: expected to occur at least once every five years

Possible: might occur at some time

Unlikely: known to have occurred only a few times

Unknown: currently