10 – The value of assessing species recovery: towards a national framework^1392010). Aichi Target 12 states that by 2020 the extinction of known threatened
species has been prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most
in decline, has been improved and sustained. The achievement of Target 12 is
linked to progress towards other relevant Aichi Targets.
National policy
Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030 (Natural Resource
Management Ministerial Council 2010) is the guiding policy framework for
conserving the country’s biodiversity and functions as a policy umbrella over other
more specific national frameworks. It supports the alignment of national priorities
and outcomes with ongoing international biodiversity conservation efforts. The
Strategy identifies 10 national targets, one of which is to establish a long-term
national biodiversity monitoring and reporting system. The collective actions of all
governments in implementing the Strategy provides the basis for the Australian
Government to report on biodiversity conservation efforts every 5 years through
the national State of the Environment Report (Cresswell and Murphy 2017) and on
obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (Australian Government
Department of Environment 2014).
National legislation
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is
the Australian Government’s primary environmental legislation and provides a
national scheme for the conservation of biodiversity and environmental and
heritage protection. ‘Threatened species and ecological communities’ is one of nine
matters of national environmental significance identified and protected under the
Act and therefore subject to its regulatory and approval processes. The EPBC Act
also provides a framework to plan for the long-term recovery of listed species and
ecological communities through the development of recovery plans and
conservation advices. They provide a planned and logical framework to guide
collaborative investment in, and participation by, all levels of government and the
broader community. Key threatening processes are also listed under the EPBC Act
and, where required, threat abatement plans or advices are prepared in response.
The EPBC Act provides a significant foundation upon which longer term
conservation planning and action is directed and is a significant step in reporting
on Australia’s international responsibilities in protecting biodiversity.
Challenges in assessing the effectiveness of the policy response
Assessing the overall effectiveness of this conservation response to biodiversity
declines has proved challenging. Although the Australian community invests
substantial resources in biodiversity conservation, national reviews have reported
on the difficulty of measuring the efficacy of that overall effort largely because