The Australian Government has added 21 new species of fauna and flora to the threatened species list, with six more being uplisted to higher threat categories. This decision underscores Australia’s worsening extinction crisis as the nation continues to grapple with one of the worst extinction rates in the world.
The newly added species include the vulnerable Irwin’s Turtle, Murray Crayfish, and Australian Humpback Dolphin; the endangered Mount Ballow Mountain Frog; and the critically endangered Wadbilliga Ash.
A grim milestone
“This announcement shows that species like the Irwin’s turtle, named after famed conservationist Steve Irwin, are now threatened with extinction due to the impacts of disease, habitat destruction and the impacts of invasive species,” says James Trezise, the Director of the Biodiversity Council.
“A number of species listed, such as the western mud minnow, are increasingly being impacted by drought and temperature extremes, highlighting the threats that our native wildlife face due to climate change,” says Trezise.
In 2023, a record-breaking 144 species were added to the threatened species list—five times more than the yearly average. In 2024, 56 more were added. Now, more than 2,000 species are recognised as threatened in Australia.
The limits of protection
Under the EPBC Act, any species added to the threatened list becomes a ‘national matter of environmental significance.’ In theory, this means that any project or development with the potential to impact these species must receive federal approval. The Threatened Species Scientific Committee also formulates conservation advice and recommends recovery and threat abatement plans.
However, these protections often fail in practice.
“Unfortunately, in this country, listing species as at risk of extinction does not currently guarantee protection from harm or resources (funding) to support recovery,” says Director of the Melbourne Biodiversity Institute and Biodiversity Council Lead Councillor Brendan Wintle.
“Habitats of endangered species continue to be destroyed, and funding to protect and support the recovery of threatened species is pitifully inadequate. Our nature protection laws need an urgent overhaul so they can be effective”.
“At the moment, less than 10 percent of our listed endangered species even have a current recovery plan,” Wintle adds. “Successive governments have failed to provide the resources and coordination needed to create and implement recovery plans. Species are hurtling toward extinction, and we’re standing by and watching.”
Actioned needed
While listing species under the EPBC Act is still an important first step toward their recovery, experts warn that much more needs to be done to prevent further biodiversity loss.
“It’s estimated we need to invest $2 billion per year in threatened species recovery to prevent the loss of Australian wildlife, but we do not see anywhere near that level of investment from the federal government,” says Trezise.
The highs and lows of species conservation
Australia and its surrounding seas support 600,000–700,000 native species, and a very high proportion of these are found nowhere else in the world. For instance, about 85% of Australia’s plant species are endemic to the continent. Without significant reforms and investment, the country’s unique ecosystems could face irreversible decline.
“Unless long-promised environmental law reform and far greater investment in conservation are delivered as a matter of urgency, we’ll continue to see the destruction of Australia’s unique and precious species and ecosystems, and the Australian government’s nature positive agenda will be impossible to achieve,”warns Professor Euan Ritchie, a wildlife conservation expert at Deakin University.
