EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
(Issued under the Authority of the Minister for the Environment)
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
Revoking and making a Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (the EPBC Act) provides for the protection of the environment and conservation of biodiversity, including the protection and conservation of threatened species and ecological communities.
The purpose of this instrument is to revoke the previous plan made in 2006 and make the new Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds for the following listed migratory species:
Pluvialis fulva (Pacific golden plover)
Pluvialis squatarola (Grey plover)
Charadrius dubius (Little ringed plover)
Charadrius bicinctus (Double-banded plover)
Charadrius mongolus (Lesser sand plover)
Charadrius leschenaultii (Greater sand plover)
Charadrius veredus (Oriental plover)
Gallinago hardwickii (Latham’s snipe)
Gallinago stenura (Pin-tailed snipe)
Gallinago megala (Swinhoe’s snipe)
Limosa limosa (Black-tailed godwit)
Limosa lapponica (Bar-tailed godwit)
Numenius minutus (Little curlew)
Numenius phaeopus (Whimbrel)
Xenus cinereus (Terek sandpiper)
Actitis hypoleucos (Common sandpiper)
Tringa brevipes (Grey-tailed tattler)
Tringa incana (Wandering tattler)
Tringa nebularia (Common greenshank)
Tringa stagnatilis (Marsh sandpiper)
Tringa totanus (Common redshank)
Tringa glareola (Wood sandpiper)
Arenaria interpres (Ruddy turnstone)
Limnodromus semipalmatus (Asian dowitcher)
Calidris tenuirostris (Great knot)
Calidris canutus (Red knot)
Calidris alba (Sanderling)
Calidris ruficollis (Red-necked stint)
Calidris subminuta (Long-toed stint)
Calidris melanotos (Pectoral sandpiper)
Calidris acuminata (Sharp-tailed sandpiper)
Limicola falcinellus (Broad-billed sandpiper)
Philomachus pugnax (Ruff)
Phalaropus lobatus (Red-necked phalarope)
Galareola maldivarum (Oriental pratincole)
Revoking the Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds (2006)
Section 33(3) of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 (Cth) in conjunction with section 285(1) of the EPBC Act enables the Minister to revoke a wildlife conservation plan. The first purpose of this instrument is to revoke the Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds, made in 2006.
Making a Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds
Part 13, Division 5, subdivision B of the EPBC Act provides for the making, or adoption of, wildlife conservation plans for listed migratory, marine, cetacean or conservation dependent species, which bind the Commonwealth and Commonwealth agencies.
Section 285 of the EPBC Act enables the Minister to make a wildlife conservation plan for the purposes of the protection, conservation and management of a listed migratory, marine, cetacean or conservation dependent species.
This wildlife conservation plan meets the requirements of section 287 of the EPBC Act. It sets out the research and management actions necessary to support the survival of 35 migratory shorebirds.
Section 289 of the EPBC Act, which requires the Minister to obtain and consider advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee on the content of the wildlife conservation plan, has been met. At its 60th meeting (June 2015), the Committee recommended that the new plan be approved under the EPBC Act.
In accordance with section 290 of the EPBC Act, the draft wildlife conservation plan was open for public comment from 3 September 2014 until 3 December 2014. A notice inviting comments on the wildlife conservation plan was advertised in the Commonwealth of Australia Government Notices Gazette, The Australian newspaper and on the website of the Australian Government Department of the Environment. As per section 291 of the EPBC Act, all comments were considered before making the wildlife conservation plan.
Consultation with state and territory agencies was conducted through the Ramsar Implementation Committee (formerly known as the Wetlands and Waterbirds Taskforce).
This wildlife conservation plan is a legislative instrument for the purposes of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003 (Cth).
The Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds commences on the day after this wildlife conservation plan is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.
Authority: Section 285 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth).