Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01712:body:0:p32
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2023L01712
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 100545–105007

Annual fire management plans include targeted management for at least 8 Tjakura sub- populations                          Reduced threat of fire burning                                          # Fire management plans that include strategic burns to protect Tjakura sites
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           burrows in at least 8 subpopulations
                                                                                 4.2 Conduct strategic cool season burning around priority Tjakura sites                         Burning conducted around at least 8 Tjakura sites each year. Large sites may also require careful burning within sites.   Reduction in number of burrows going inactive as                        % Burrows at monitoring sites remaining unburnt each year
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           a result of being burnt
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   # Active burrows at monitoring sites
                                                                                 4.3 Reduce fuel loads in surrounding area with a combination of aerial and ground burning, to   Area burnt by prescribed burning in the surrounding area for each sub- population                                         Low risk of fires in Tjakura habitat                                    # Subpopulations negatively affected by wildfire each year
                                                                                 prevent wildfires encroaching on Tjakura habitat                                                                                                                                                                          because fuel loads in the surrounding area are being actively managed

 Aim: Effective predator management reduces the number of Tjakura killed by predators

 As predation is considered to be the major source of mortality for Tjakura, reducing the predation pressure on populations should result in fewer deaths and increased abundance.

 Healthy Tjakura populations can coexist with low densities of cats, foxes and dingoes in unburnt habitat. However very small, isolated populations could be eliminated by an individual predator and Tjakura are particularly vulnerable to predation by cats, foxes
 and dingoes after fires have removed their vegetation cover. Predator management in these situations can save local populations from extinction. Another critical time to reduce predation pressure is straight after a small mammal boom when high densities of predators are left hungrily seeking alternative prey when the mammals crash.

 Removing cats any time over the summer is beneficial but Tjakura are particularly active when they first emerge from hibernation in September-October, when the males are busy cleaning out their burrows and moving between burrows to look for females, so a blitz on cats at this time is recommended. Young Tjakura start appearing after Christmas until March, so another control period in February would also be beneficial.

 Predator management is really only feasible in accessible areas that can be regularly patrolled. Trapping a cat can take many days or even weeks, so can usually only be done at sites close enough to commute to twice a day to check the traps. Other
 techniques such as Traditional hunting, or spotlighting may achieve results with a couple of 4-5 day field trips each year. Felixer Grooming Traps are a target specific cat control method yet to be trialled in Tjakura habitat, but have the potential to provide ongoing cat control.

 As Tjakura burrows are often clustered within the landscape into fairly