STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council

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STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
STRATEGIC
PLAN
2018-2022

            Keeping nature safe from
             dangerous new invaders
STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
Building an informed &
             motivated community…

                 Builds political support
                 & contributes to solutions…

                  Leading to a good
                  biosecurity system…

                     Lowering the risk of
                     new invasive species
                     becoming established…

                          And lowering future
                          impacts on our environment

                            Photos: Cassowary chick, Emmagen Creek (Dan Gordon | Flickr | CC BY-NC 2.0);
                            in the lab (Ibbl | Flickr | CC BY-NC 2.0); Yellow crazy ant, David Wilson.

INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL: Strategic Plan 2018-2022
STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
Prevention & early action
When Europeans first arrived in                      If we have learned anything it is that
Australia they ushered in an era                     Australia cannot afford anymore
of unprecedented invasions that                      harmful invasive species.
continue to this day.                                That’s why we want Australia to develop
First came the rabbit, fox and feral cat,            a first line of defence, a biosecurity
then the cane toad. Noxious overseas                 system that will keep us safe from new
weeds now number in their thousands.                 harmful invasive species like yellow
                                                     crazy ants, which threaten Queensland’s
Some can be controlled and contained,                Wet Tropics World Heritage Area.
but most continue to wreak havoc                                                                              BIOSECURITY
on our wildlife and environment, our                 The key to this biosecurity system is
                                                     prevention and early action.
                                                                                                              is the protection of
farming communities and economy.
                                                                                                              the environment,
                                                                                                              economy and

Eradication, containment                                                                                      public health from
                                                                                                              negative impacts
& control                                                                                                     associated with
                                                                                                              pests, diseases and
On the Australian mainland                           • Lobbying for government-led                           weeds.
we still have time to eradicate                         containment strategies for emerging
recently introduced invasive                            pests such as feral deer and horses.                  Cover photos: Myrtle rust on scrub myrtle,
                                                                                                              Tim Low; Asian black-spined toad, DEPI;
species such as yellow crazy ants                    • Supporting targeted control
                                                                                                              yellow crazy ant, David Wilson; smooth
                                                                                                              newt; John Beniston (CC BY-SA 3.0);
and red fire ants before they get                        measures underpinned by science.                     Koster’s curse, Kim Starr; feral deer;

out of control.                                                                                               Federation Training students.
                                                     • Promoting the ‘general biosecurity                    Below: Fox on the hunt in Edithvale
And on our 8300 islands we have                         obligation’.                                          wetlands, Victoria (Wayne Butterworth |
                                                                                                              Flickr | CC BY-NC 2.0); Koster’s curse, Kim
unique opportunities to remove pests                                                                          Starr.
such as rats, cats and rabbits, liberating
native wildlife from harmful invaders.
Control of widespread invasive species
must be science-based and supported
by research. Governments and
community effort must target those
areas where the damage is greatest.
That’s why our work includes:
• Facilitating eradication of
                                             Invasive species
   recent mainland arrivals and               threaten more
   invasive species from                        than 75%
   offshore islands.                         of amphibians, birds and
                                                 mammals listed as
                                                  threatened in
                                                    Australia.

A report written by Tim Low and                           Invasive species
commissioned by the Invasive Species
Council in 2017 indicates invasive species
                                                           threaten more
have caused the most animal extinctions                      than half                                                               Feral cats:
and pose the main threat to a number of                     the native plants, fish,                                                the biggest
animal groups in Australia.                               reptiles and invertebrates
                                                                 on Australia’s           Feral animals                           problem for our
                                                            threatened species list.     and introduced                             threatened
                                                                                            diseases                                 mammals
                                                                                       pose a greater ongoing threat               outranking inappropriate
                                                                                       to Australia’s most vulnerable               fire regimes, foxes and
                                                                                           native animals than                            habitat loss.
                                                                                                habitat loss.
PUBLISHED JULY 2018
STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
OUR OBJECTIVES
1     PREVENTION
      & EARLY ACTION
A ‘biosecurity system’ is in                                                      Highlight the
place by 2022 that reduces                                                         benefits of
                                                                              biosecurity and costs
the risk to Australia’s natural
                                                                                   of inaction
environment.
An effective biosecurity system requires
a systematic identification and reduction                                                                Ensure a
of risks. It requires leadership by federal,
state and territory governments,
                                                        Support the                                   best-practice
community involvement and institutions                  community’s                                    biosecurity
armed with the necessary resources and                     role                   75% of               system is in
clear responsibilities for preparedness,                                                                  place
risk reduction and rapid responses. It                                           our work
requires ecologically-based thinking.
This objective makes up 75% of our
external effort.
                                                                                               Work with
                                                                Ensure threats
Strategies to                                                                               government and
                                                               and pathways are
                                                                                            collaborate with
achieve this                                                      identified
                                                                                                 others
Provide compelling information
to the broader public
1.1   Develop case studies and stories
      about invasive insects and
      diseases, invasives species on
      offshore islands and other threats
                                               1.6   E
                                                      ncourage and reward success
      that highlight the cost of inaction
                                                     such as through the Froggatt
      and demonstrate the benefits of
                                                     Awards and highlight required
      prevention and early action.
                                                     improvements.
1.2   Help local communities
      understand the impact of                 Work with processes and
      invasive species and their role in
                                               organisations
      bringing about change.
                                               1.7   P
                                                      rovide targeted input to
1.3   Track and publicise new
                                                     government and political party
      incursions and where feasible
                                                     policy development.
      encourage rapid action.
                                               1.8   C
                                                      ollaborate with non-
Promote an effective                                 environmental organisations that
biosecurity system and reward                        seek similar goals.
success                                                                                     OUR VISION
                                               Support and demonstrate
1.4   Seek the adoption of a
                                               practical action                             Australia and the
      biosecurity system that protects
      Australia from invasive insects,         1.9   Promote
                                                              the community’s             southwest Pacific
      diseases, marine pests and other               role in designing biosecurity
      environmental threats.                         systems, minimising risks as well
                                                                                            have a biosecurity
1.5   Seek improved compliance for
                                                     as undertaking treatment and           system that stops
                                                     surveillance.                          new invasive species
      the keeping of illegal reptile pets
      and tighten state and federal laws       1.10 I nitiate or support efforts to        and has reduced the
      permitting invasive aquarium fish,             identify threats from insects, fungi
      invasive pastoral grasses and weedy            and other priority invasive species    impacts of existing
      garden plants.                                 and their potential pathways.          invasive species.

INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL: Strategic Plan 2018-2022
STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
OUR MISSION
Invasive rats and mice have been responsible for the extinction of five bird species on Lord
Howe Island. Eradicating the rodents would help save remaining birds like the endemic Lord
                                                                                                 To protect the
Howe Island White-eye.                            Photo: Eric de Leeuw | Flickr CC licence 2.0   environment from

2
                                                                                                 harmful new invasive
       E RADICATION,                                                                           species through
         CONTAINMENT & CONTROL                                                                   prevention and early
                                                                                                 action.
Eradicate invasive species                        2.2    E
                                                          ncourage the eradication of
from selected offshore                                   recently introduced invasive
                                                         species on the mainland such
islands and sites, contain                               as yellow crazy ants and red
emerging species and direct                              imported fire ants in Queensland
public and community                                     and smooth newts in Victoria.
control efforts to                                Advocate for containment
threatened sites.
                                                  2.3    A
                                                          dvocate for government-led
Eradication of invasive species is                       strategies that contain feral deer
achievable and highly beneficial on                      and other emerging species.
offshore islands. Where eradication
is not possible containment must be
                                                  Support targeted control
attempted, while for widespread species
the impact must be reduced using a                2.4     dvocate for financial and
                                                         A
coordinated science-based approach                       practical support for community
involving land managers, government,                     and government-led invasive
scientists and the community.                            species containment and
                                                         targeted control initiatives.
This objective makes up 25% of our
external effort.                                  2.5    P
                                                          romote adoption of a ‘general
                                                         biosecurity obligation’,
                                                         supported by education and              Lord Howe Island. Photo: Robert Whyte
Strategies to                                            compliance.
achieve this                                      2.6    P
                                                          romote adoption of control
                                                         practices advanced by leading
Facilitate eradication                                   scientists and practitioners.
2.1   T
       hrough partnerships, facilitate           2.7    U
                                                          rge government funding for
      the eradication of invasive                        research to develop biological
      species from offshore islands.                     controls and innovative control
                                                         methods.

PUBLISHED JULY 2018
STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council STRATEGIC PLAN 2018-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
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