Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

The Scientific Committee is to advise the Minister on the conditions (if any) to which the giving of assistance under section 281 should be subject.

In giving advice about assistance for making or implementing a recovery plan for the whole or part of a species or ecological community, the Scientific Committee must take into account the following matters:

the degree of threat to the survival in nature of the species or ecological community, or part, in question;

the potential for the species or community, or part, to recover;

the genetic distinctiveness of the species or community, or part;

the importance of the species or community, or part, to the ecosystem;

the value to humanity of the species or community, or part;

the efficient and effective use of the resources allocated to the conservation of species and ecological communities.

In giving advice about assistance for making or implementing a threat abatement plan for the whole, or one or more parts, of a key threatening process, the Scientific Committee must take into account the following matters:

the degree of threat posed by the process or the relevant parts of the process, as the case may be, to the survival in nature of species and ecological communities;

the potential of species and ecological communities so threatened to recover;

the efficient and effective use of the resources allocated to the conservation of species and ecological communities.