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Prioritisation of Threatened Flora and Fauna Recovery Actions for the Tasmanian NRM Regions Threatened Species Section Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment Nature Conservation Report 10/03 June 2010 Executive Summary The Threatened Species Section (TSS) of the Department Act) were assessed. The developers provided substantial I\GPYHIHERHWLEVIHGSWXW ;LIVIWYJ½GMIRXJYRHWEVIRSX 8LISYXGSQIWVITVIWIRXWMKRM½GERXWXITWMREHHVIWWMRK of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment guidance and support to the Threatened Species Section. available to carry out all projects simultaneously, extinction 6IGSQQIRHEXMSRWERHSJXLIAuditor- (DPIPWE) was contracted by Tasmania’s three NRM risk can only be minimised and not eliminated. However, General’s Special Report on the Management of threatened Projects were prioritised on the basis of their contribution to groups to prioritise threatened species recovery actions. many species are surprisingly inexpensive to secure: the species. The exercise provided key information for listing a single objective: the minimisation of number of extinctions top 28 species can be secured over a 50 year period for statements, recovery plans and monitoring plans, and Prioritisation of projects to secure threatened species was [MXLMRXLIWLSVXXIVQ ]IEVW 8LMWSFNIGXMZIVI¾IGXWXLI less than $1 million, with only $180,000 required in the MHIRXM½IHWTIGMIWVIUYMVMRKEWXEXYWVIZMI[ YRHIVXEOIRSRXLIFEWMWSJXLIMVGSWXIJ½GMIRG]MRQIIXMRK requirement of the Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 ½VWX½ZI]IEVW8SWIGYVIXLIXSTVEROMRKWTIGMIW the following objective and target: for a strategy to ensure the survival of threatened species. The list, when used correctly, represents an invaluable SR0MWXGSWXWPIWWXLERLEPJXLEXVIUYMVIHXS Threatened species conservation helps address numerous decision-making tool for planning threatened species Objective: Within 50 years, to secure in the wild WIGYVIXLIVIQEMRMRKPS[IWXVEROMRKWTIGMIW8SQMRMQMWI different objectives, but it is ineffective and confusing to conservation programs, but there are a number of ways in in Tasmania the greatest number of I\XMRGXMSRVMWOMXMWQSWXGSWXIJ½GMIRXXSWIGYVIWTIGMIW prioritise projects on the basis of some combination of which it can potentially be misused: threatened taxa as possible. in their priority order because of the generally lower cost, these; the relative importance of each objective to funding LMKLIVPMOIPMLSSHSJWYGGIWWERHLMKLIVFIRI½XSJXLIMV 7IPIGXMSRSJWMRKPIEGXMSRW[MXLMRLMKLVEROMRKTVSNIGXW Target %XE\SRMWHI½RIHEWWIGYVI[LIRMXW agencies can change annually. However, weightings can later projects. Some lower-ranking species may, however, rank as high priority for funding. be applied to the prioritised list if required. For example, if numbers and distribution are stable or highly on the basis of a different objective, such as iconic funders wish to favour Tasmanian endemics, they can either MRGVIEWMRKERHEVIWYJ½GMIRXXLEXXLIVIMW species protection or ecosystem function protection, and +VSYTMRKSJGSQQSREGXMSRWEWTVMSVMXMIWJSVQYPXM fund only projects on these species, or apply a weighting a 95% probability that it will survive the thereby receive funding sooner from a separate source. species recovery actions. stochastic events anticipated over a 50 based on degree of endemicity to the list. 8VIEXQIRXSJTVSNIGXWVEROMRKPS[SVEFWIRXJVSQ0MWX year timeframe, given that all known and 8LIQENSVMX]SJTVSNIGXW SJ EVIGSR½RIHXSE Each project represents the minimum required to secure 1 as low priority for all conservation objectives. predicted threats are adequately mitigated. WMRKPI261VIKMSR 'VEHPI'SEWX2SVXL7SYXL each species over a 50 year time frame, but may not 58). Forty-four, however, are shared between two or more RIGIWWEVMP]FIWYJ½GMIRXXSWIGYVIEPPMXWTSTYPEXMSRWRSVMXW %WWYQTXMSRXLEXEJYPP]JYRHIHTVSNIGX[MPPJYPP] The Project Prioritisation Protocol (PPP), developed regions. recover a species. by the University of Queensland (UQ) and the New genetic diversity. For the present purpose, the short-term securing of extra species was viewed as a higher priority Key outcomes of the project were: Zealand Government’s Department of Conservation %WWYQTXMSRXLEXXLIVEROMRKTVIWIRXIHMRXLIVITSVXMW (DOC), provided a consistent and transparent approach than the securing of extra populations of a species already %HIGMWMSRQEOMRKXSSPEPPS[MRKJYRHIVWXSYRHIVWXERH exactly correct. in prioritising recovery projects to minimise threatened secure over the short term. A review of the implications the tradeoffs of their resource allocation between this species extinctions. This approach prioritises projects on of the selected objective is appropriate for future work. Recommendations for future work include a review of the and other objectives. XLIFEWMWSJXLIMVGSWXIJ½GMIRG]MRQIIXMRKERSFNIGXMZI prioritisation within the next 5 years, in light of progress A prioritised list (List 1) indicates an order for funding to ensure that the maximum is achieved with a limited 0MWXWSJTVMSVMXMWIHXLVIEXIRIHWTIGMIWTVSNIGXWHEXE and new information, incorporating all Tasmanian species. recovery projects for the 171 species on which there was budget. One project was designed to secure each species. HI½GMIRXWTIGMIWWTIGMIWEPVIEH]WIGYVIWTIGMIW Additionally, the objective needs to be more formally WYJ½GMIRXMRJSVQEXMSRERH[LMGLI\TIVXWGSRWMHIVIHGSYPH Projects were ranked in the order that they should be I\GPYHIHJSVWTIGM½IHVIEWSRW agreed in light of the implementation of the 2009 priority be secured purely through Tasmania-based projects over a MRMXMEXIHSRXLIFEWMWSJXLIMV&IRI½XXSXLIWTIGMIWXLI list. A longer term objective may be more appropriate. If 50 year period. This order may change when cost-sharing 4VSNIGXTVIWGVMTXMSRWEHHVIWWMRKEGSRWMWXIRXSFNIGXMZI likelihood of their Success and their Cost, as assessed by the approach is taken up nationally, species which cannot is incorporated by a coordinating agency. Cost-sharing can for each of 171 species, with detailed costs, timing and relevant experts using the best available information. Two be secured purely through Tasmania-based actions can be only be calculated when it is known which projects can be locations. interviewers maintained consistency using a standardised included. Biodiversity conservation could be most cost- funded, since projects must be funded entirely to minimise set of questions. In view of time constraints, only species IJ½GMIRXMJTVMSVMXMWEXMSRMWGEVVMIHSYXEGVSWWEPPSFNIGXMZIW I\XMRGXMSRWGSWXIJ½GMIRXP] listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable and costs shared between funded projects across as well under either the Commonwealth Environment Protection To secure all 171 threatened species on the priority as within these objectives. and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) or the list over a 50 year period was estimated to cost Tasmanian Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (TSP approximately $155 million (not withstanding some June 2010 Threatened Species Prioritisation Threatened Species Prioritisation June 2010 ii iii Contents Acknowledgements Terms and abbreviations Introduction . ......................... 2 Potential misuses of the priority list ..... 24 The input of the following experts in providing the &IRI½X 8LIPIZIPSJGSRXVMFYXMSRSJETVSNIGX Contract requirement . .........................2 Selection of single actions within high-ranking projects as high priority for funding . ............ substantial information required for the prioritisation XS[EVHWEWXEXIHSFNIGXMZIHI½RIHJSVXLMW Context . ...................................2 process is gratefully acknowledged: exercise in the Methods (PPP Step 5) Grouping of common actions as priorities Type of method required . ......................2 for multi-species recovery actions . .............. Rachael Alderman, Jayne Balmer, Leon Barmuta, Phil Cost Estimated total cost of a project Methods .............................. 3 Bell, Stewart Blackhall, Kevin Bonham, Bill Brown, Alex Treatment of projects ranking low or absent CFOC Caring for our Country (Australian Buchanan, Oberon Carter, Stuart Chilcott, Peter Davies, How PPP works ............................... from List 1 as low priority for all conservation Government funding agency) Niall Doran, Michael Driessen , Rob Freeman, Robbie PPP steps ..................................... objectives ....................................25 Gaffney, Rosemary Gales, Louise Gilfedder, Mark Green, DEWHA Department of Environment, Water, (I½RISFNIGXMZI ............................ Assumption that a fully funded project will Scott Hardie, Stephen Harris, Clare Hawkins, Dean Heinze, Heritage and the Arts fully recover a species . ........................25 Mick Ilowski, Jean Jackson, Menna Jones, Matt Larcombe, 2. List biodiversity assets ........................5 Peter Last, Billie Lazenby , Drew Lee, Peter McQuillan, Nick DOC The New Zealand Government’s Assumption that the priority list is exactly correct ..25 (IWMKRQEREKIQIRXTVSNIGXW .................. Mooney, Sarah Munks, Matthew Pauza, David Pemberton, Department of Conservation Future recommendations . ............. 26 Annie Philips, Wendy Potts, Karen Richards, Alastair )WXMQEXI'SWXERH7YGGIWWSJIEGLTVSNIGX ...... DPIPWE Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Regular review . .............................. Richardson, Tim Rudman, Richard Schahinger, Andrew Water and Environment )WXMQEXI&IRI½XSJIEGLTVSNIGX ...............7 Sharman, Chris Spencer, Shaun Thurstans, Michael Todd, *SVQEPMHIRXM½GEXMSRSJSFNIGXMZI W .............. 6IZMI[ERHVEROXLITVSNIGXW .................8