Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00270:body:0:p68
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L00270
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 188124–191459

4.4 – Priority: Highly beneficial
Assess the welfare risks, likelihood of success, cost-effectiveness, and potential impacts upon existing populations of translocations to those areas outside the current range considered most practical and likely to result in the establishment of new viable subpopulations. If considered to have significant benefits, implement such translocations.
Note that this action links to Action 3.1 and Action 3.3. Any translocation should be consistent with relevant legislation and IUCN guidelines (IUCN/SSC 2013), and consistent with trial translocation protocols developed under Action 3.1.

Performance criteria
1)        The areas that are most likely to have Leadbeater's possum outside the Central Highlands are identified and surveyed with appropriate methods.
2)        Any 'new' populations located outside the known range are appropriately protected and managed.
3)        Assessment of the likely benefits, risks and feasibility of translocation to new areas assists with decision-making processes.
4)        'New' subpopulations are established through translocation to suitable habitat, where considered beneficial.
Table 4: Objective 4 deliverables
Timing               Outcome
By end of 1st year       * At least 5 priority areas considered most likely to contain populations of Leadbeater's possum outside the current known range are identified, and surveyed adequately using appropriate protocols (Action 4.1).
By end of 2nd year       * A further 10+ priority areas considered most likely to contain populations of Leadbeater's possum outside the current known range are identified, and surveyed adequately using appropriate protocols (Action 4.1).
                         * If Action 4.1 results in location of 'new' populations outside known range, the status (including abundance, habitat requirements, range extent, threats) is assessed, and appropriate conservation management responses are developed and implemented (Action 4.2).
                         * If Action 4.1 fails to locate 'new' populations outside known range, using habitat suitability modelling, preliminary survey and risk spreading principles, at least five sites (outside the current known range) with highest potential for translocation are identified; and translocations options for these sites are assessed, factoring in bushfire risk and climate change. (Action 4.3).
By end of 4th year       * At least two trial translocation projects are undertaken and monitored, assuming suitable habitat has been located and significant benefits are likely (Action 4.4).
By end of 10th year      * Translocated populations are effectively established, and contribute significantly to overall long-term population viability (Action 4.4).

Objective 5
Targeted research addresses key knowledge gaps such that management options are better informed and management actions more effective.

Rationale
Notwithstanding several decades of intensive research resulting in extensive understanding of the ecology of the species and the functioning of the ecosystem, there remain some key knowledge gaps that constrain conservation management effectiveness. In some cases, where that research closely relates to other management objectives, the research actions are (also) described within those objectives. Note that the actions