2022
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The Threatened Species Strategy 2021-2031 is underpinned by consecutive 5 year Action Plans.
Guided by the Strategy’s high-level objectives and 8 action areas, the first Action Plan sets practical actions and targets to focus efforts on improving the trajectories of 100 priority threatened species and a preliminary group of 6 priority places, alongside other fundamental threatened species recovery activities. The remaining 14 priority places are being finalised and should be confirmed in the coming months.
Many of the targets and actions are supported through existing tools and resourcing, but also set a level of ambition to spur further national efforts where the Australian Government is best positioned to lead or coordinate. It also is an open call to action for all Australians to collaborate on making a real difference for Australia’s threatened species.
We will review and report on progress in 2024 and 2026, aiming to be:
- progressing and tracking recovery actions for all priority species and places
- on track to improve the trajectories of species and condition of places by 2031.
Progress updates and information to help Australians get involved and stay up to date with our work will be shared here. Check back in regularly.
Priority Places
On 12 February 2022 the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley, announced the first group of 6 priority places to focus efforts under the plan. These initial 6 places are all natural islands where actions to address particular threats are underway and there is strong interest in continuing. Selection of the remaining 14 priority places is being finalised now and will be announced in the coming months. The final list of 20 places will balance representation of marine and freshwater environments as well as land-based places across Australia.
Priority places broaden the influence of the new Strategy, guiding the Australian Government and willing partners to focus place-based recovery actions and research at the appropriate scale to benefit multiple threatened species and ecological communities that share the same habitat.
Land and sea managers at each priority place will be invited to participate in improving the condition for threatened species and ecological communities identified within that place. No new obligations will be placed on individuals, organisations or governments.
Priority Species
On 22 October 2021, the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley, announced 100 priority plants and animals selected to focus efforts under the Strategy’s Action Plan 2021-2026.
These 100 species are found across a range of Australia’s environments, including on land, in freshwater environments and in the sea. The priority list includes species across a range of taxa, including birds, mammals, plants, fish, reptiles, frogs, and invertebrates.
Supporting 100 priority species
The Australian Government is funding more than $12 million in Threatened Species Strategy Action Plan - Priority Species grants through the Environment Restoration Fund. Community led projects are delivering a wide range of actions to directly benefit over half the 100 priority species on the ground, including weed management, feral predator control, habitat restoration, seed collection and propagation, captive breeding, and citizen science programs.
This funding complements other major Australian Government investments supporting threatened species recovery projects. A full list of the successful projects can be found at Environment Restoration Fund.