B.CIS.2022 - Centre Invasive Species Solutions FY2023 membership

Summary

The annual cost of vertebrate pests and weeds to agriculture is well over $5 billion. Towards addressing pest animals and weeds, MLA has been a member of the Centre Invasive Species Solutions and membership contributions are due. MLA’s member commitment enabled MLA to influence strategic direction, project selection and oversight of a large government co-investment and demonstrated commitment to a national approach to wild dog control, and significant advances in rabbit and pig control. The scope of the new phase RDE&A investment from 2022-2027 develops the pest animal work and includes a major focus on pest plants. This CMA is to fund MLA's full membership of CISS in FY23 to develop and manage jointly funded projects, provide a nationally coordinated collaborative approach, attract substantial resources to achieve critical mass, economies of scale and potentially transformative outcomes from operational linkages (end-users, coordinating organisations, industry, governments).

CISS was developed via a partnership of the Australian Government, state governments, industry members and partners, university partners and the New Zealand Government (2017- June 2022). Significant planning has been undertaken with all partners to develop the Invasive Species Solutions 2030 (ISS2030) Initiative and continue operating the Centre from 2022-2027.

CISS is now a fully developed and operating national collaborative invasive species RD&E institution. It has 22 current members and partners, with a cumulative investment of $53.72 million (2017-22) which has led to major innovation in surveillance and incursion response capability, dog, fox and pig toxins, rabbit biocontrol, coordinated pest animal management (deer and wild dogs), uptake of the community mapping and management; accelerating adoption of best practice management, and national leadership in community-based social marketing and behavioural science research and application.

The economic impact of Portfolio No. 1 (Pest Animals) provides for estimated expected benefits of $154.5 million (NPV), and a Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) of 2.9 to 1 over 30 years. An external review of the CISS governance reported CISS has organisational systems and processes for a well governed organisation. Key lead indicators of success are in place, including, engagement, planning processes, extension, monitoring, collaboration, on-line information. A next phase ensures that the investment in invasive species (animals and plants) continues and that the products developed are delivered.

Objectives

This CMA is to fund MLA's full membership of CISS in FY23 to develop and manage jointly funded projects, provide a nationally coordinated collaborative approach, attract substantial resources to achieve critical mass, economies of scale and potentially transformative outcomes from operational linkages (end-users, coordinating organisations, industry, governments).