Advice to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee) on Amendments to the List

Conclusion for Criterion C: The Committee considers that the threatening process is eligible under this criterion as the process is adversely affecting population numbers and geographic distribution of at least three listed threatened species and two listed threatened ecological communities, primarily through competition and habitat degradation.

3. 
   Threat Abatement Plan
   

The continuing sale, and hence wide distribution, of invasive and potentially invasive garden plants in Australia presents a significant risk to Australia’s environment. The invasion of escaped garden plants has resulted in adverse impacts on a number of native species from a variety of taxa, including many listed as threatened under the EPBC Act. Native plant species, such as P. spicata, Sandhill Greenhood Orchid and the Wing-fruited Lasiopetalum, are adversely impacted by escaped garden plants which are strong competitors for resources including light, moisture and space. Other species, such as the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, are detrimentally affected by invasive garden plants which displace native plants that form part of the species’ preferred habitat. Threatened ecological communities, including the Cumberland Plain Woodlands, Blue Gum High Forest and the Littoral Rainforest, are also adversely impacted by the threatening process.

The threats posed by invasive garden plants can be controlled by preventing further spread into new habitats, eradicating weeds and rehabilitating the ecosystems where these weeds occur. Many of the invasive garden plant species identified as part of this threatening process are already very well established in the Australian landscape, to the extent that they are recognised as WoNS. For these species, the goal of management is containment, rather than eradication which is no longer feasible in many cases. As a result, the ecosystem changes induced by these already widely distributed invasive garden plants may be largely irreversible.

There are a number of national and state-based initiatives in place to address this threatening process; the below examples are instructive when considering the need for a national Threat Abatement Plan.

• 
  The EPBC Act and the Quarantine Act 1908 regulate the import of live plants and animals into Australia. Under the EPBC Act, the importation of live plants, excluding CITES listed plant specimens, is unregulated provided it is in accordance with the Quarantine Act. Under the Quarantine Act, plant imports are regulated taking into consideration their pest potential. The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) administers the Quarantine Act and Biosecurity Australia undertakes the import risk assessments. Biosecurity Australia uses the Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) system as the agreed pre-entry screening method for new plant imports and this is applied to all proposals to import new plant species (seeds, nursery stock or tissue culture) which are not on the permitted list. The WRA system assesses whether the plant proposed for import possesses certain attributes which could increase the likelihood of it becoming a weed in Australia. Plants that are already present in Australia still require assessment before importation if they are not on the permitted list.
  

• 
  Biosecurity Australia also develops and reviews quarantine policies to protect the environment from exotic pests (including weeds) and diseases. On request, Biosecurity Australia provides advice to AQIS regarding these policies.
  

• 
  AusBIOSEC is a policy framework that provides for national collaboration on biosecurity issues. This includes managing pests (including weeds) and diseases in terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments. It aims to provide a coordinated national approach to prevention, emergency response to new incursions and management of established invasive species. AusBIOSEC builds on existing strategies including the Australian Weeds Strategy 2007.
  

• 
  Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2020 (draft) aims to ensure that biodiversity is healthy, resilient to climate change and valued for its essential contribution to human existence. It recognises invasive species as one of six main threats to biodiversity and provides a broad framework for the implementation of other national strategies outlined below.
  

• 
  The National Framework for the Management and Monitoring of Australia’s Vegetation sets out a national approach to the management and monitoring of Australia's native vegetation and provides a process through which Commonwealth, State and Territory commitments can be implemented to improve the quality and extent of Australia's native vegetation cover.
  

• 
  The Australian Weeds Strategy 2007 provides guidance to all stakeholders involved in weed management and identifies priorities for weed management across Australia. The goals of the strategy are: preventing new weed problems; reducing the impact of existing priority weed problems; and enhancing Australia's capacity and commitment to solve weed problems. Under the strategy, priority is given to control and management of 20 plant species identified as Weeds of National Significance (WoNS). A national strategy and a Weeds Management Guide has been produced for each WoNS. The Australian Weeds Committee, which reports to the Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, supports the implementation of the Australian Weeds Strategy by facilitating and coordinating consistent national action on weed tasks.
  

• 
  The following national draft action plans, both currently undergoing significant revision, sit beneath the strategy:
  
  • 
    The National Weeds Awareness Action Plan focuses on improving awareness as a prerequisite to achieving acceptable long-term management of weeds. The key outcome of the plan is a weeds awareness program that increases whole-of-community and government understanding of the invasive plant crisis. ‘Nursery and Landscape’ is one of the target groups highlighted in the plan and key stakeholders identified in the plan that would play an important role in abating the key threatening process include Australian National Botanic Gardens, Greening Australia, Horticulture Australia and Nursery & Garden Industry Australia. Investment under the action plan over the last decade has contributed to heightened awareness and increased capacity to manage weed issues, primarily through community group participation in the Weedbuster campaign and the development of awareness products.
    
  • 
    The National Weed Spread Prevention Action Plan establishes a framework to prevent weed spread. The draft objectives include: to identify and address all pathways for weed spread, achieve national consistency in weed spread prevention and minimise the spread of weeds by human agency. The action plan acknowledges that one form of human-induced spread is the direct movement of weeds by people through planting invasive ornamental species close to native vegetation.
    

• 
  The Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council’s National Cost-Sharing Eradication Programs currently apply to six target species, three of which are considered escaped garden plants (Koster’s Curse Clidemia hirta, Limnocharis Limnocharis flava, and Miconia Miconia calvescens). These programs identify infested areas, through mapping and monitoring, and coordinate or undertake activities to eradicate the species from Australia.
  

• 
  The National Weeds Research and Productivity Program aims to reduce the impact of invasive plants on farm and forestry productivity and also on biodiversity. The Australian Weeds Research Centre is the centrepiece of the program and will build on the work of the CRC for Australian Weed Management which completed its term on 30 June 2008. The Australian Government has committed $15.3 million over four years, from 2008/09 to 2011/12, to the program and thus far, funds totaling $2.5 million have been allocated to 28 weeds research projects.
  

• 
  Victorian Pest Management: Weed Management Strategy, including Weed Alert Plan;
  
• 
  New South Wales Weed Strategy, NSW Bitou Bush TAP, Lantana Strategy (in prep.);
  
• 
  Queensland Weeds Strategy, Queensland Weed Spread Prevention Strategy;
  
• 
  Northern Territory Weed Management Strategy;
  
• 
  A Weed Plan for Western Australia, Western Australia Environmental Weed Strategy;
  
• 
  Weed Strategy for South Australia;
  
• 
  Tasmanian Weed Management Strategy;
  
• 
  Australian Capital Territory Weeds Strategy; and
  
• 
  State and Territory legislative noxious/prohibited weeds lists.
  

• 
  The Nursery & Garden Industry Australia Invasive Plants Policy Position;
  
• 
  The Nursery & Garden Industry Australia’s ‘Grow Me Instead’ program;
  
• 
  The Bushland Friendly Nursery Scheme, an initiative of the NSW North Coast Weeds Advisory Committee;
  
• 
  Sustainable Gardening Australia;
  
• 
  Weed Spotters, a weed detection and alert model developed by the CRC for Australian Weed Management, with networks operational in Queensland and Victoria;
  
• 
  Weedbusters, a national awareness program;
  
• 
  ‘What does your garden grow?’ Workshops, a CRC for Australian Weed Management training program;
  
• 
  Traveller’s guide to Australian interstate quarantine; and
  
• 
  Various regional weed strategies.
  

4. 
   Recommendations
   

1. 
   The Committee recommends that the list referred to in section 183 of the EPBC Act be amended by including in the list of key threatening processes: “Loss and degradation of native plant and animal habitat by invasion of escaped garden plants, including aquatic plants.”
   
2. 
   The Committee recommends that a Threat Abatement Plan is not considered a feasible, efficient or effective way to abate the process at this time.
   
3. 
   The Committee recommends that abatement actions for this key threatening process continue to be developed and implemented under the Australian Weeds Strategy 2007.
   

Viewed: 1 May 2009

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