Theme 5.00

Enhancing threatened species policy

Good policy is central to identifying and protecting threatened species. Streamlined evidence-based policy will improve the prospects for Australia’s threatened species.

This theme will focus on:
  • Improving offsetting approaches for threatened species by evaluating the potential of strategic offsetting and novel threat abatement offsetting methods to achieve better outcomes
  • Better approaches for assessing and listing threatened species in data-poor situations.
Related Projects

Better offsets for threatened species

Project: 5.1
This project will examine alternative strategies for achieving offset benefits for threatened species. By moving beyond traditional ‘land-based’ offsets strategies can be more cost-effective. Alternative approaches may include perpetual funds to support ongoing management of pest species, and educational signage aiming to reduce damage to beach-nesting species.

Strategic planning for the far eastern curlew

Project: 5.1.1
The far eastern curlew has experienced one of the most acute declines of any Australian shorebird species. Currently little is known about it exact feeding and roosting habitat requirements. While coastal development can negatively impact populations, it is known to use some artificial habitat for roosting. This project will provide the knowledge needed to develop strategic guidelines for far eastern curlew conservation in the context of potential development and associated offsetting.

Improving conservation assessments and policy options for poorly known species

Project: 5.2
In Australia, assessments of species’ conservation status are routinely based on information such as population size and trends, distributional extent, and threats. When a species is poorly known and these data do not exist, that species is unlikely to be assessed. It is likely that many of Australia’s poorly known species would qualify as threatened if we had the data to assess them properly.