Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01094:body:0:p23
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01094
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 67976–71523

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 priority 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.

Each threat has been described in Section 3.2 Current threatening processes) in terms of the extent to which it is operating on the species. The risk matrix (Table 3) provides a visual depiction of the level of risk being imposed by a threat and supports the prioritisation of subsequent management and conservation actions. In preparing a risk matrix, several factors have been taken into consideration, they are: the life stage they affect; the duration of the impact; the spatial extent, and the efficacy of current management regimes, assuming that management will continue to be applied appropriately. The risk matrix and ranking of threats has been developed in consultation with experts and using available literature.

Table 3. Forty-spotted pardalote Residual Risk Matrix*
Likelihood       Consequences
Not significant  Minor         Moderate                                     Major                                          Catastrophic
Almost certain                    * Predation by introduced species            * Competition for nest hollows                 * Habitat loss and modification
                                                                                                                              * Parasitism
Likely                                                                                                                        * Declining white gum health        * Wildfire and inappropriate fire regimes

Possible                          * General recreation                         * Increased frequency or length of drought
                                  * Competition by aggressive native birds     * Small population size

Unlikely
Unknown

*Threats are assessed over a 10 year timeframe
Risk Matrix legend/Risk rating:

Low Risk  Moderate Risk  High Risk  Very High Risk

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—such events are known to have occurred on a worldwide basis but only a few times
Rare or Unknown—may occur only in exceptional circumstances; OR it is currently unknown how often the incident will occur
Categories for consequences are defined as follows:
Not significant—no long-term effect on individuals or populations
Minor—individuals are adversely affected but no effect at population level