Migratory species listed under international agreements to which Australia is a party are identified as a matter of national environmental significance under the EPBC Act.

Curlew Sandpiper

To assist in the conservation of these species, Section 285 of the EPBC Act provides for the development of Wildlife Conservation Plans which set out the research and management actions necessary to support the survival of the species concerned. Wildlife Conservation Plans can be developed for listed migratory, marine, cetacean or conservation dependant species which are not considered threatened, but are considered to benefit from a nationally co-ordinated approach to their conservation.  The Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Heritage, in consultation with interested stakeholders, has developed a Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds.  

The Wildlife Conservation Plan builds on existing measures to protect migratory shorebirds and the habitats important for their survival in Australia and throughout the Flyway. This is achieved through a range of activities including:

• appropriate legislation and policy frameworks
• research and monitoring programs
• development and implementation of site management actions
• community education and awareness programs

In addition to the plan, an accompanying background paper provides information on migratory shorebirds, including:

• biological and ecological characteristics of the shorebirds covered by the Plan,
• their population status in Australia and throughout the Flyway
• the range of actual and potential threats to them in Australia
• existing programs and conservation measures for migratory shorebirds and their habitats in Australia