Quokkas to koalas: Australia’s new 100 priority species species identified

There are more than 1800 threatened species in Australia, but the government is prioritising 100 for its conservation efforts. See the full list.

From cute and cuddly quokkas and koalas, to an earthworm that can grow up to three metres long, the federal government has identified 100 priority species that will be the focus of its conservation efforts over the next decade.

The priority list includes plants and animals facing multiple threats to their survival, including climate change, and was devised through consultation with scientists, community groups, traditional owners and other stakeholders.

A look at the list of protected species suggests aesthetics was not an overriding criteria for inclusion.

Besides the aforementioned Giant Gippsland Earthworm, there are two varieties of native snail on the list, as well as the New Holland mouse, which looks remarkably like any ordinary mouse to the untrained eye.

But our mammals are also well represented, with the hairy-nosed wombat, the numbat, the sea lion, the bilby and several subspecies of wallaby and possum also now enjoying the highest level of federal government protection.

Farmer Les Brooks with giant earthworm on his farm at South Gippsland, Victoria, in this 1978 file photo.

Numbat. Picture: Wayne Lawler/AWC

“In prioritising 100 species through a decade long threatened species strategy, we are highlighting the importance not only of our mammals and plants but our, reptiles, insects, frogs and other freshwater and marine species,” Environment Minister Sussan Ley said.

“This is about halting and reversing historic declines and establishing the ways we can live together with our native species.”

Choosing the 100 species for the priority list was a complex task involving the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, state, territory and federal government officials, and a public consultation process.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Six criteria were used to determined which species made the cut, including the likely threat of extinction, as well as the species’ uniqueness, representativeness and importance to people. The government was also guided by a value for money component – whether efforts would make a significant difference – and also by how many non-designated species could also benefit from actions to save the prioritised species.

But Abi Smith from the Threatened Species Conservancy was critical of the government process, saying her organisation had not been consulted.

“There are 1890 species on the EPBC [Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act], and it’s abhorrent that we would dwindle that down to 100,” she said.

Many governments and NGOs were focusing their efforts on prioritising species, and there should be a greater emphasis on getting work done on the ground, she said.

Ms Ley also announced an immediate $10 million in community grants for activities to protect the prioritised species.

To find out more about the grants and apply visit: www.business.gov.au/erfps.

NEW SOUTH WALES

PLANTS

Wollemi Pine. Picture: Chris Pavlich

Imlay Mallee (Eucalyptus imlayensis)

Pimelea cremnophila

Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis)

Pimelea venosa

Carrington Falls Pomaderris (Pomaderris walshii)

Little Mountain Palm (Lepidorrhachis mooreana)

Native Guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides)

Smooth Davidson’s Plum (Davidsonia johnsonii)

REPTILES

Great Desert Skink

Green Turtle

Collared Delma (legless gecko) **

INVERTEBRATES

Pink Underwing Moth

Cauliflower Soft Coral

Lord Howe Island Phasmid

Mount Lidgbird Charopid Land Snail

FISH

Grey Nurse Shark (eastern)

Stocky Galaxias

White’s Seahorse

FROGS

Southern Corroboree Frog

Growling Grass Frog

MAMMALS

Koala. Picture: Mark Evans/Getty Images

Numbat

Greater Bilby

New Holland Mouse

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

Koala

Mountain Pygmy-possum

BIRDS

Malleefowl

Eastern Curlew

Plains-wanderer

Black-eared Miner

Regent Honeyeater

Swift Parrot

Red Goshawk

Australasian Bittern

Hooded Plover (eastern)

VICTORIA

PLANTS

Forked Spyridium (Spyridium furculentum)

Stiff Groundsel (Senecio behrianus)

Adamson’s Blown-grass (Lachnagrostis adamsonii)

INVERTEBRATES

Eltham Copper Butterfly

Giant Gippsland Earthworm

FISH

Murray Hardyhead

FROGS

Growling Grass Frog

MAMMALS

Leadbeater’s Possum

New Holland Mouse

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

Koala

Mountain Pygmy-possum

BIRDS

Orange-bellied Parrot

Malleefowl

Eastern Curlew

Plains-wanderer

Black-eared Miner

Regent Honeyeater

Swift Parrot

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Australasian Bittern

Hooded Plover (eastern)

QUEENSLAND

PLANTS

Border Ranges Lined Fern (Antrophyum austroqueenslandicum)

Angle-stemmed Myrtle (Gossia gonoclada)

Waddy, Waddi, Waddy-wood, Birdsville Wattle (Acacia peuce)

Native Guava (Rhodomyrtus psidioides)

Bulberin Macadamia Nut (Macadamia jansenii)

Smooth Davidson’s Plum (Davidsonia johnsonii)

King Blue-grass (Dichanthium queenslandicum)

REPTILES

Green Turtle

Olive Ridley Turtle

Bellinger River Snapping Turtle

Collared Delma (legless gecko)

INVERTEBRATES

Pink Underwing Moth

FISH

Grey Nurse Shark (eastern)

Redfin Blue-eye

White’s Seahorse

Freshwater Sawfish

FROGS

Kroombit Tinker Frog

MAMMALS

Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat

Greater Bilby

Northern Quoll

Spectacled Flying-fox

Northern Brushtail Possum

New Holland Mouse

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

Koala

BIRDS

Malleefowl

Eastern Curlew

Night Parrot

Plains-wanderer

Golden-shouldered Parrot

Regent Honeyeater

Swift Parrot

Red Goshawk

Australasian Bittern

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

PLANTS

Woods Well Spyridium (Spyridium fontis-woodii)

Lax Leek Orchid (Prasophyllum laxum)

Waddy, Waddi, Waddy-wood, Birdsville Wattle (Acacia peuce)

Arckaringa Daisy (Olearia arckaringensis)

REPTILES

Pygmy Blue-tongue Lizard

FISH

Murray Hardyhead

FROGS

Growling Grass Frog

MAMMALS

Australian Sea Lion pup. Picture: Toby Zerna

Numbat

Chuditch (Western Quoll)

Australian Sea-lion

Greater Bilby

Kangaroo Island Echidna

BIRDS

Orange-bellied Parrot

Malleefowl

Eastern Curlew

Night Parrot

Plains-wanderer

Princess Parrot

Black-eared Miner

Swift Parrot

Red-tailed Black Cockatoo

Australasian Bittern

Hooded Plover (eastern)

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

PLANTS

Stirling Range Dryandra (Banksia montana)

Giant Andersonia (Andersonia axilliflora)

Eremophila subangustifolia

Wongan Eriostemon (Philotheca wonganensis)

Small-flowered Snottygobble (Persoonia micranthera)

Tangled Wattle (Acacia volubilis)

Foote’s Grevillea, Black Grevillea (Grevillea calliantha)

Scaly-butt Mallee (Eucalyptus leprophloia)

REPTILES

Short-nosed Sea Snake

Green Turtle

Olive Ridley Turtle

Yinnietharra Rock-dragon

Bellinger River Snapping Turtle

INVERTEBRATES

Margaret River Burrowing Crayfish

FISH

Freshwater Sawfish

MAMMALS

Numbat

Gilbert’s Potoroo

Chuditch (Western Quoll)

Australian Sea-lion

Greater Bilby

Quokka

Western Ringtail Possum

Northern Quoll

Northern Brushtail Possum

BIRDS

Western Ground Parrot

Malleefowl

Eastern Curlew

Night Parrot

Carnaby’s Cockatoo

Princess Parrot

Red Goshawk

Australasian Bittern

TASMANIA

PLANTS

Graveside Leek-orchid (Prasophyllum taphanyx)

St Helens Wax Flower, Davies’ Wax Flower (Phebalium daviesii)

INVERTEBRATES

Tas Giant Freshwater Crayfish

Ammonite Snail

FISH

Red Handfish

Maugean Skate

Swan Galaxias

FROGS

Growling Grass Frog

MAMMALS

Eastern Quoll

New Holland Mouse

BIRDS

King Island Brown Thornbill

Orange-bellied Parrot

Eastern Curlew

Swift Parrot

Australasian Bittern

Hooded Plover (eastern)

NORTHERN TERRITORY

PLANTS

MacDonnell Ranges Cycad (Macrozamia macdonnellii)

Waddy, Waddi, Waddy-wood, Birdsville Wattle (Acacia peuce)

REPTILES

Arnhem Land Gorges Skink

Green Turtle

Olive Ridley Turtle

Bellinger River Snapping Turtle Bushfire

FISH

Freshwater Sawfish

MAMMALS

Greater Bilby

Central Rock-rat

Northern Quoll

Northern Brushtail Possum

Northern Hopping-mouse

BIRDS

Malleefowl

White-throated Grasswren

Eastern Curlew

Princess Parrot

Red Goshawk

Australasian Bittern

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

MAMMALS

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Bushfire

Koala Bushfire

BIRDS

Eastern Curlew

Regent Honeyeater

Swift Parrot

Australasian Bittern

OTHER TERRITORIES

BIRDS

Christmas Island Goshawk

Norfolk Island Green Parrot

Originally published as Quokkas to koalas: Australia’s new 100 priority species species identified