Threatened Species recovery in North East New South Wales, Australia
North East New South Wales is both rich in biodiversity and subject to a range of pressures from past clearing for agriculture to current population growth, the latter especially along the coastal fringe. Reflecting this contrast there are over 500 species, populations and ecological communities in the region that are listed as threatened under State legislation. The State government has had an active program of threatened species recovery operating in various forms for 20 years. This paper will describe the history of the recovery program, the key elements of the current program and its future direction. An important component of any program of public works is the periodic review of its effectiveness. Currently there is an independant review of the implementation of 11 recovery plans for species in the region. Key findings of this review will be presented using case studies as examples.