FIVE native animals have been added to the ACT Threatened Species list and another four species have been updated to align them with Commonwealth threatened species listings.
Aligning with the national listings, the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon is now considered “critically endangered” in the ACT and the Gang-gang cockatoo, Mountain Skink, Southern Greater Glider, Koala and the Key’s Matchstick Grasshopper are “endangered”.
Another three species, including the Golden Sun Moth and Yellow-bellied Glider, have been assessed and are now listed as “vulnerable” in the ACT Native Threatened Species List.
Prof Arthur Georges, chair of the ACT Scientific Committee says: “These listings are incredibly important, because they bring the ACT on to the same page as the Australian government and the states. This enables a co-ordinated effort to stem the declines in these threatened species.
“As important is the need for up-to-date listings of our valued native species in decline, some of which have the ACT as their last refuge; the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon being an exemplary case.
“We have a special responsibility to stem and reverse the declines of our threatened species, and these listings place the species firmly on the government’s agenda for formulating and implementing effective action on the ground to avoid further extinctions of our iconic flora and fauna.”
Environment Minister Rebecca Vassarotti said the ACT was in the middle of an “extinction crisis” and the government was committed to protecting and conserving native animals in the territory.
“Our environment is under threat like never before. This news largely reflects the significant loss of habitat for our native animals during the devastating 2020 bushfires,” she said.
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