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03 October, 2022 | 09:42 PM

Australia announces plan to halt extinction crisis and save 110 species

Australia announces plan to halt extinction crisis and save 110 species
The government’s plan to halt the extinction crisis will begin with the targeting of 110 priority species, including many of Australia’s best-known native animals. Independent scientists have compiled a collection of threatened animals and plants, as well as 20 “priority places” such as Kangaroo Island and Kakadu. It is hoped that by boosting the prospects of these locations, threatened species and other native plants and animals will also get a let-up. The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek , released the plan at the same time she added 15 new species and three ecological communities to the list. Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning She said the threatened species action plan included ambitious targets such as the prevention of any further extinction of plants or animals and the protection and conservation of at least 30 per cent of Australia’s land mass. Independent scientists were responsible for choosing the 110 priority species, including koalas, wombats, multiple species of possum, the red-tailed black cockatoo, the Australian sea lion and the brush-tailed rock-wallaby. Fish, frogs, reptiles and 30 plants are also on the list, and the list of 20 priority places includes the Blue Mountains, the Australian Alps, West Arnhem, Tasmania’s giant kelp forests and Kangaroo and Norfolk islands. Plibersek said the action plan would guide species-protection efforts over the next decade. “Our current approach has not been working. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we’ll keep getting the same results. Australia is the mammal extinction capital of the world,” she said. “The need for action has never been greater. By prioritising 110 species and 20 places, the plan will drive action where it is needed most and will deliver flow-on benefits to other threatened plants and animals in the same habitats.” Sign up to Guardian Australia's Morning Mail Free daily newsletter Our Australian morning briefing email breaks down the key national and international stories of the day and why they matter Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy . We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Sixty endangered greater gliders found in Victorian forests tagged for logging Read more New species added to the threatened list include the parma wallaby, a small rock-dwelling species found along the Great Dividing Range and the western beautiful firetail, which took a huge hit in the Kangaroo Island bushfires. The three new threatened ecological communities include the Mount Kaputar land snail and slug community, which is now listed as endangered. Only known to be found at Mount Kaputar in northern NSW, the community features the Kaputar giant pink slug. It is threatened by feral pigs, climate change and was extensively affected by the 2019 bushfires. The minister will formally launch the action plan at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo on Tuesday.