Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082:reg:1:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L01082
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 1 (pt 1/30)
Character Range: 5533–8847

1  Summary

Plains-wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus)
Family: Pedionomidae

                  Current status of taxon:
                  Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Critically Endangered
                  Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (New South Wales): Endangered
                  Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria: Critically Endangered
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (Victoria): Threatened
Nature Conservation Act 1992 (Queensland): Vulnerable
National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 (South Australia): Endangered
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Endangered

Distribution and habitat:
Plains-wanderers occur at scattered sites in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria, which encompass the core sites for the species; and Queensland and South Australia, which appear to encompass more marginal habitat for the species. Plains-wanderers inhabit sparse, treeless, lowland native grasslands which usually occur on hard red-brown clay soils. Grassland structure is much more important than floristic composition with the species showing a strong preference for sites with approximately 50% bare ground and most vegetation less than 5 cm in height and some widely-spaced plants up to 30 cm. The plains-wanderer occasionally occurs in other types of habitat such as in stubble; amongst low cereal crops; and in low, sparse chenopod shrubland.

Habitat critical for survival:
Habitat critical to the survival of the plains-wanderer includes:
    * Any regions where the species is likely to occur; and
    * Any newly discovered locations that extend the likely range of the plains-wanderer.

Recovery plan objectives:
The objectives of this recovery plan are to:
    * Reverse the long-term population trend of decline and increase the numbers of plains-wanderers to a level where there is a viable, wild breeding population, even in poor breeding years; and to
    * Enhance the condition of habitat across the plains-wanderers' range to maximise survival and reproductive success, and provide refugia during periods of extreme environmental fluctuation.

Recovery strategies:
The strategies to achieve the recovery plan's objectives are to:
    * Develop and implement a robust, targeted conservation breeding strategy for the plains-wanderer.
    * Facilitate management of grazing regimes, and improve knowledge of appropriate burning regimes, to maintain suitable habitat for plains-wanderers.
    * Enhance protection, improve the quality and increase the extent of habitat suitable for the plains-wanderer.
    * Identify the key factors that have contributed to the significant recent declines in the numbers of plains-wanderers and develop mitigation measures to address these threats.
    * Improve understanding of the distribution and population trends of the plains-wanderer.
    * Increase community participation in plains-wanderer conservation and management.

Figure 1: Plains-wanderer male (left) and female (right) in sparse grassland habitat.

Criteria for success:
This recovery plan will be deemed successful if, within 10 years, all of the following have been achieved:
    * A successful conservation breeding program for the plains-wanderer has been established.
    * The number of plains-wanderers has increased from