(1) This section applies only if the Minister’s most recent decision under section 269AA in relation to a listed threatened species (except one that is extinct or that is a conservation dependent species) or a listed threatened ecological community is to have a recovery plan for the species or community.
Note: Subsection 273(1) sets a deadline of 3 years from the decision for ensuring that a recovery plan is in force for the species or community. Subsection 273(2) allows that period to be extended.
Making a plan
(2) The Minister may make a written recovery plan for the purposes of the protection, conservation and management of:
(a) a listed threatened species (except one that is extinct or is a conservation dependent species); or
(b) a listed threatened ecological community.
Making a plan jointly with a State or Territory
(3) The Minister may make a written recovery plan for the purposes of the protection, conservation and management of a listed threatened species (except one that is extinct or is a conservation dependent species) or a listed threatened ecological community jointly with one or more of the States and self‑governing Territories in which the species or community occurs, or with agencies of one or more of those States and Territories.
Content of a plan
(4) The Minister must not make a recovery plan under subsection (2) or (3) unless the plan meets the requirements of section 270.
Prerequisites to making a plan
(5) Before making a recovery plan under subsection (2) or (3) for a listed threatened species or listed threatened ecological community, the Minister must:
(a) consult the appropriate Minister of each State and self‑governing Territory in which the species or community occurs, and in which actions that the plan would provide for would occur, with a view to:
(i) taking the views of each of those States and Territories into account in making the plan under subsection (2); or
(ii) making the plan jointly under subsection (3);
unless the species or community occurs only in a Commonwealth area; and
(b) consider the advice of the Scientific Committee given under section 274; and
(c) consult about the plan and consider comments in accordance with sections 275 and 276.
Limits on making a plan
(6) The Minister must not make a recovery plan under subsection (2) for a species or ecological community that occurs wholly or partly outside a Commonwealth area unless the Minister is satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable, within the period of 3 years referred to in subsection 273(1), to make the plan under subsection (3) of this section with each State or Territory:
(b) in which actions that the plan would provide for would occur, if the plan were made under subsection (2) of this section.
Adopting a State or Territory plan
(7) The Minister may, by instrument in writing, adopt as a recovery plan a plan made by a State, a self‑governing Territory or an agency of a State or self‑governing Territory (whether or not the plan is in force in the State or Territory). The Minister may adopt the plan with such modifications as are specified in the instrument. This subsection has effect subject to section 277.
Note: Section 277 requires that:
(a) an adopted plan have the content required for a recovery plan by section 270; and
(b) there has been adequate consultation in making the plan adopted; and
(c) the Minister consult the Scientific Committee about the content of the plan.
Effect of adopting a plan
(8) A plan adopted under subsection (7) has effect as if it had been made under subsection (2) (whether it was adopted with modifications or not).
270 Content of recovery plans
(1) A recovery plan must provide for the research and management actions necessary to stop the decline of, and support the recovery of, the listed threatened species or listed threatened ecological community concerned so that its chances of long‑term survival in nature are maximised.
(2) In particular, a recovery plan must (subject to subsection (2A)):
(a) state the objectives to be achieved (for example, removing a species or community from a list, or indefinite protection of existing populations of a species or community); and
(b) state criteria against which achievement of the objectives is to be measured (for example, a specified number and distribution of viable populations of a species or community, or the abatement of threats to a species or community); and
(c) specify the actions needed to achieve the objectives; and
(ca) identify threats to the species or community; and
(d) identify the habitats that are critical to the survival of the species or community concerned and the actions needed to protect those habitats; and
(e) identify any populations of the species or community concerned that are under particular pressure of survival and the actions needed to protect those populations; and
(f) state the estimated duration and cost of the recovery process; and
(g) identify:
(i) interests that will be affected by the plan’s implementation; and
(ii) organisations or persons who will be involved in evaluating the performance of the recovery plan; and
(h) specify any major benefits to native species or ecological communities (other than those to which the plan relates) that will be affected by the plan’s implementation; and
(j) meet prescribed criteria (if any) and contain provisions of a prescribed kind (if any).
(2A) A recovery plan need only address the matters mentioned in paragraphs (2)(d), (e), (f), (g) and (h) to the extent to which it is practicable to do so.
(3) In making a recovery plan, regard must be had to:
(a) the objects of this Act; and
(b) the most efficient and effective use of the resources that are allocated for the conservation of species and ecological communities; and
(c) minimising any significant adverse social and economic impacts, consistently with the principles of ecologically sustainable development; and
(d) meeting Australia’s obligations under international agreements between Australia and one or more countries relevant to the species or ecological community to which the plan relates; and
(e) the role and interests of indigenous people in the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity.
270A Decision whether to have a threat abatement plan
Decision
(1) The Minister may at any time decide whether to have a threat abatement plan for a threatening process in the list of key threatening processes established under section 183. The Minister must do so:
(a) within 90 days of the threatening process being included in the list; and
(b) within 5 years of the last decision whether to have a threat abatement plan for the process, if that decision was not to have a threat abatement plan for the process.
Basis for decision
(2) The Minister must decide to have a threat abatement plan for the process if he or she believes that having and implementing a threat abatement plan is a feasible, effective and efficient way to abate the process. The Minister must decide not to have a threat abatement plan if he or she does not believe that.
Consultation before making a decision
(3) Before making a decision under this section, the Minister must:
(a) request the Scientific Committee to give advice within a specified period; and
(b) take reasonable steps to request any Commonwealth agency, any State, any self‑governing Territory, and any agency of a State or self‑governing Territory, that would be affected by or interested in abatement of the process to give advice within a specified period;
on the feasibility, effectiveness or efficiency of having and implementing a threat abatement plan to abate the process.
Consulting others
(4) Subsection (3) does not prevent the Minister from requesting any other person or body to give advice within a specified period on the feasibility, effectiveness or efficiency of having and implementing a threat abatement plan to abate the process.
Request may be made before listing
(5) A request for advice on the feasibility, effectiveness or efficiency of having and implementing a threat abatement plan to abate the process may be made before or after the process is included in the list of key threatening processes established under section 183.
Time for giving advice
(6) The Minister must not make a decision whether to have a threat abatement plan for the process before the end of the period within which he or she has requested a person or body to give advice on the feasibility, effectiveness or efficiency of having and implementing a threat abatement plan to abate the process.
Considering views expressed in consultation
(7) When the Minister is making a decision under this section, he or she must consider the advice that a person or body gave on request within the period specified in the request.
Publishing decision and reasons
(8) The Minister must publish in accordance with the regulations (if any):
(a) a decision whether or not to have a threat abatement plan for a key threatening process; and
(b) the Minister’s reasons for the decision.
Special rules for processes included in original list
(9) Subsections (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7) do not apply in relation to a decision about a process included in the list under section 183 as first established.
270B Making or adopting a threat abatement plan
Application
(1) This section applies only if the Minister’s most recent decision under section 270A in relation to a key threatening process is to have a threat abatement plan for the process.
Note: Section 273 sets a deadline of 3 years from the decision for ensuring that a threat abatement plan is in force for the process.
Making a plan
(2) The Minister may make a written threat abatement plan for the purposes of reducing the effect of the process.
Making a plan jointly with a State or Territory
(3) The Minister may make a written threat abatement plan for the purposes of reducing the effect of the process, jointly with the States and self‑governing Territories in which the process occurs or with agencies of those States and Territories.
Content of a plan
(4) The Minister must not make a threat abatement plan under subsection (2) or (3) unless the plan meets the requirements of section 271.
Prerequisites to making a plan
(5) Before making a threat abatement plan for the process under subsection (2) or (3), the Minister must:
(a) consult the appropriate Minister of each State and self‑governing Territory in which the process occurs, with a view to:
(i) taking the views of each of those States and Territories into account in making the plan under subsection (2); or
(ii) making the plan jointly under subsection (3);
unless the process occurs only in a Commonwealth area; and
(b) consider the advice of the Scientific Committee given under section 274; and
(c) consult about the plan and consider comments in accordance with sections 275 and 276.
Limits on making a plan
(6) The Minister must not make a threat abatement plan under subsection (2) for a process that occurs wholly or partly outside a Commonwealth area unless the Minister is satisfied that it is not reasonably practicable to make the plan:
(a) jointly with each of the States and self‑governing Territories in which the process occurs; and
(b) within 3 years of the decision to have the plan.
Adopting a State or Territory plan
(7) The Minister may, by instrument in writing, adopt as a threat abatement plan for the process a plan made by a State, a self‑governing Territory or an agency of a State or self‑governing Territory (whether or not the plan is in force in the State or Territory). The Minister may adopt the plan with such modifications as are specified in the instrument. This subsection has effect subject to section 277.
Note: Section 277 requires that:
(a) an adopted plan have the content required for a threat abatement plan by section 271; and
(b) there has been adequate consultation in making the plan adopted; and
(c) the Minister consult the Scientific Committee about the content of the plan.
Effect of adopting a plan
(8) A plan adopted under subsection (7) has effect as if it had been made under subsection (2), whether it was adopted with modifications or not.
271 Content of threat abatement plans
(1) A threat abatement plan must provide for the research, management and other actions necessary to reduce the key threatening process concerned to an acceptable level in order to maximise the chances of the long‑term survival in nature of native species and ecological communities affected by the process.
(2) In particular, a threat abatement plan must:
(a) state the objectives to be achieved; and
(b) state criteria against which achievement of the objectives is to be measured; and
(c) specify the actions needed to achieve the objectives; and
(g) meet prescribed criteria (if any) and contain provisions of a prescribed kind (if any).
(3) In making a threat abatement plan, regard must be had to:
(a) the objects of this Act; and
(b) the most efficient and effective use of the resources that are allocated for the conservation of species and ecological communities; and
(c) minimising any significant adverse social and economic impacts consistently with the principles of ecologically sustainable development; and
(d) meeting Australia’s obligations under international agreements between Australia and one or more countries relevant to the species or ecological community threatened by the key threatening process that is the subject of the plan; and
(e) the role and interests of indigenous people in the conservation of Australia’s biodiversity.
(4) A threat abatement plan may:
(a) state the estimated duration and cost of the threat abatement process; and
(b) identify organisations or persons who will be involved in evaluating the performance of the threat abatement plan; and
(c) specify any major ecological matters (other than the species or communities threatened by the key threatening process that is the subject of the plan) that will be affected by the plan’s implementation.
(5) Subsection (4) does not limit the matters that a threat abatement plan may include.
272 Eradication of non‑native species
If:
(a) the actions specified under paragraph 270(2)(c) in a recovery plan, or under paragraph 271(2)(c) in a threat abatement plan, include the eradication of a non‑native species; and
(b) the species is threatened in a country in which its native habitat occurs;
the recovery plan, or threat abatement plan, must require the Commonwealth to offer to provide stock of the species to that country before the eradication proceeds.
273 Ensuring plans are in force
When a plan comes into force
(1A) A recovery plan or a threat abatement plan comes into force on the day on which it is made or adopted, or on a later day specified by the Minister in writing.
Deadline for recovery plan
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a recovery plan for a listed threatened species or a listed threatened ecological community must be made and in force within 3 years of the decision under section 269AA to have the plan.
(2) The Minister may, in writing, extend the period within which a recovery plan must be made. Only one extension can be granted for the making of the plan, and the period of the extension must not be more than 3 years.
Ensuring recovery plan is in force
(3) Once the first recovery plan for a listed threatened species or a listed threatened ecological community is in force, the Minister must exercise his or her powers under this Subdivision to ensure that a recovery plan is in force for the species or community until the Minister decides under section 269AA not to have a recovery plan for the species or community.
Note: The Minister may revoke a recovery plan for a listed threatened species or a listed threatened ecological community if the Minister decides under section 269AA not to have a recovery plan for the species or community. See section 283A.
Deadline for threat abatement plan
(4) A threat abatement plan for a key threatening process must be made and in force within 3 years of the decision under section 270A to have the plan.
Ensuring threat abatement plan is in force
(5) Once the first threat abatement plan for a key threatening process is in force, the Minister must exercise his or her powers under this Subdivision to ensure that a threat abatement plan is in force for the process until the Minister decides under section 270A not to have a threat abatement plan for the process.
Note: The Minister may revoke a threat abatement plan for a key threatening process if the Minister decides under section 270A not to have a threat abatement plan for the process. See section 283A.
274 Scientific Committee to advise on plans
(1) The Minister must obtain and consider the advice of the Scientific Committee on:
(a) the content of recovery and threat abatement plans; and
(b) the times within which, and the order in which, such plans should be made.
(2) In giving advice about a recovery plan, the Scientific Committee must take into account the following matters:
(a) the degree of threat to the survival in nature of the species or ecological community in question;
(b) the potential for the species or community to recover;
(c) the genetic distinctiveness of the species or community;
(d) the importance of the species or community to the ecosystem;
(e) the value to humanity of the species or community;
(f) the efficient and effective use of the resources allocated to the conservation of species and ecological communities.
(3) In giving advice about a threat abatement plan, the Scientific Committee must take into account the following matters:
(a) the degree of threat that the key threatening process in question poses to the survival in nature of species and ecological communities;