Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p65
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 65/80)
Character Range: 241900–244852

cat impacts on these populations requires a different suite of actions, and is the subject of Objective 9, and to a lesser extent, Objective 8.

In open settings (i.e. where cat immigration is possible), the options for feral cat control differ in terms of their efficacy (or our knowledge of the efficacy of different options varies), where they can be used, the scale at which they can be applied (e.g. several square kilometres for intensive trapping, to hundreds of square kilometres for aerial deployment of toxic baits), their humaneness, cost and sustainability (see background document). Local knowledge and well-defined objectives are keys to choosing the best control option and using it effectively. For example, understanding what features of the landscape are used by traversing feral cats can direct where to set traps, and markedly reduce the trapping effort required, compared to attempts to trap across the entire area. Similarly, if one or a handful of feral cats are causing most of the impacts, then targeting those feral cats for removal will be more effective and efficient that attempting to reduce density across a larger area.

Many of the actions in Objective 2, that relate to selecting the most appropriate control or management option for each site, monitoring effectiveness and outcomes, and supporting land managers to control and monitor cats, are highly relevant to Objective 7. For example, monitoring the effect of control and management on cats, and the outcomes for native species, is critical for achieving Objective 7. This is because suppressing cat abundance at sites can have unintended consequences, including increases in cat activity (because immigration may be encouraged by territory vacancies). Even if cat abundance is reduced, cat impacts may vary little, for example if most of the problematic killing is being carried out by a small number of individual cats. Cat control and management efficacy can attenuate over time, if cats learn to avoid the control, and if behavioural avoidance is inherited. Information gained through monitoring can be used to adapt control and obtain the best outcomes.

This objective aligns with, and contributes to a target in the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032:

     Target 8 Feral cats and foxes are managed across all important habitats for susceptible priority species using best practice methods.

      Figure 5 Objective 7: Protect moderately to highly cat-susceptible species

Diagram showing the relationships between the core actions of Objective 7 (Ob7) and actions from the cross-cutting objectives (Ob1-4) that lead to achieving the outcome under Objective 7 (Ob7). Note: actions from cross-cutting objectives comprise those that directly underpin the actions and outcomes of Objective 7, and those that provide overarching support.

     Performance Criteria

      Table 14 Objective 7. Performance Criteria

Objective 7. Performance criteria