STRATEGIC PLAN 2016-2022 - Keeping nature safe from dangerous new invaders - Invasive Species Council
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STRATEGIC
PLAN
2016-2022
Keeping nature safe from
dangerous new invaders
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 2016-2022
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 JUNE 2017
OUR OBJECTIVES
1 PREVENTION
& EARLY ACTION
A ‘biosecurity system’ is in Highlight the
place by 2022 that reduces benefits of
the risk to Australia’s natural biosecurity and costs
environment. of inaction
An effective biosecurity system requires
a systematic identification and reduction
of risks. It requires leadership by federal, Ensure a
state and territory governments, Support the best-practice
community involvement and institutions community’s biosecurity
armed with the necessary resources and
clear responsibilities for preparedness,
role 75% of system is in
place
risk reduction and rapid responses.
our work
This objective makes up 75% of the our
external effort.
Strategies to Work with
Ensure threats
government and
achieve this and pathways are
collaborate with
identified
Provide compelling information others
to the broader public
1.1 Develop case studies and stories
about invasive ants, plant
diseases, invasive species on
offshore islands and other threats
that highlight the cost of inaction
and demonstrate the benefits of 1.6 E
ncourage and reward success
prevention and early action. such as through the Froggatt
Awards and highlight required
1.2 Help local communities improvements.
understand the impact of
invasive species and their role in Work with processes and
bringing about change.
organisations
1.3 Track and publicise new
1.7 P
rovide targeted input to
incursions and where feasible
government and political party
encourage rapid action.
policy development.
Promote an effective 1.8 C
ollaborate with non-
biosecurity system and reward environmental organisations that
success seek similar goals.
OUR VISION
1.4 Seek the adoption of a
Support practical action
biosecurity system that protects Australia and the
Australia from invasive ants, plant 1.9 Promote
the community’s role
diseases, marine pests and other in designing biosecurity systems,
southwest Pacific
environmental threats. minimising risks and undertaking have a biosecurity
surveillance.
1.5 Seek improved compliance for system that stops
the keeping of illegal reptile pets 1.10 I nitiate or support efforts to
identify threats from invasive
new invasive species
and tighten state and federal laws
permitting invasive aquarium fish, ants, plant diseases and other and has reduced the
invasive pastoral grasses and weedy priority invasive species and their impacts of existing
garden plants. potential pathways.
invasive species.
INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL: Strategic Plan 2016-2022
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 JUNE 2017
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