Stage One: Preliminary planning and community consultation
This stage has been completed. It involved undertaking required initial trials including captive management and toxin resistance trials as well as initial operational planning. It included the biosecurity review and progression of biodiversity outcome monitoring. Finally it included the community consultation and engagement process and the community survey.
Stage Two: Planning and Approvals
This stage is now complete. The key tasks during this stage were:
- Assembling key personnel to undertake the work on the next stages
- Reviewing the Rodent Eradication Plan to ensure that it takes into consideration all new information since it was drafted in 2009
- Developing individual property and livestock management plans, which inform the eradication plan and the approval process. This involved a detailed property by property consultation with individual leaseholders and residents.
- Continue working with community to fully understand the programs objectives
- Undertake any necessary studies required for the approval process, including independent human health risk assessment
- Continue the relevant baseline outcome monitoring
- Further develop detailed planning and all necessary risk assessments;
- Obtain required permits and approvals,
- Update operational details;
- Prepare key tender documentation
Final Go / No Go Decision
The Board made the final decision to proceed to implementation of the project at the Board meeting 12 Sept 2017 considering:
- The status of key approvals
- Safety of the environment
- The advice of the NSW Chief Scientist and Engineer regarding a further independent Human Health Risk Assessment
- Social Acceptability
- Budget considerations
- Technical Feasibility
- Steering Committee recommendation
Stage Three: Implementation and evaluation of the eradication plan
This Stage is now underway.
Stage Three will involve the eradication plan being implemented in winter 2019 over an approximate three month period. Key elements are:
- Finalise detailed logistics and operational planning
- Assemble and train remaining resources
- Construction of captive management facilities for the woodhen and currawong
- Capture of woodhens and currawongs
- Operational readiness check
- Implementation of ground and aerial baiting
- Follow up monitoring and release of woodhens and currawongs
- Maintaining an ongoing biosecurity and rodent detection monitoring network
Project Approvals – Applications & Permits
The REP needs approval from various Australian and NSW government regulators. The table below describes the permits and approvals required and provides links to the applications and permit or approval received.
| Agency / Legislation | Requirement and Considerations | Received | Key Approval Conditions | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) Agriculture and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994 | Minor Use Permit for use of the pesticide in Australia specifically for the LHI REP. Considers: Safety Human health Environment Efficacy Effectiveness of the product | Yes | Development of Risk Mitigation Plan. Education programme and information sheets for community and visitors | Application Permit |
| Department of the Environment and Energy Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 | Approval for an “action” that will have or is likely to have a significant impact on any of the matters of national environmental significance. Considers: Matters of National Environmental Significance Threatened and migratory species World Heritage values Commonwealth Marine Area | Yes | Establishment of Technical Advisory Group. Development of Monitoring and Mitigation Plan. Development of Biosecurity Management Plan. Reporting of non-target impacts. Reporting of post operational monitoring results. | Application Permit Post Plans |
| Department of Agriculture and Water Resources Biosecurity Act 2015 | Permit to import the bait into Australia. Considers: Biosecurity of the bait | Yes | Manufacturer’s Declaration | Permit |
| Department of Primary Industry – Fisheries Fisheries Management Act 1994 | Section 220ZW Licence authorising an action that is likely to result in harm to a threatened species, population or ecological community. Considers: NSW listed threatened marine species | Yes | Marine spill containment and clean-up plan. Marine research and monitoring plan. Reporting of marine non target impacts. Operational report. | Application Permit |
| Department of Primary Industry – Marine Park Authority Marine Estate Management (Management Rules) Regulation 1999 | Consent to harm animals and plants in all zones of the Lord Howe Island Marine Park (NSW) Considers: The Lord Howe Island Marine Park (NSW) | Yes | Application Permit Revised Permit |
|
| Office of Environment and Heritage Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 | A Species Impact Statement and Section 91 Threatened Species License to harm or pick a threatened species, population or ecological community* or damage habitat. Considers: NSW listed threatened species, populations and ecological communities | Yes | Reporting of non-target deaths. Operational report. | Application Permit |
| Lord Howe Island Board Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (Part 4) | Development consent for construction of the captive management facilities. Considers: Local Environmental Plan 2010 | Yes | Application Permit Supporting Documents |