The Federal government gave the green light to more than 57,000 hectares of threatened species habitat destruction last year, making it the worst 12-month period in 15 years.
The Australian Conservation Foundation’s Extinction wrapped 2025 finds:
- The northern quoll had more of its habitat approved to be destroyed in 2025 than any other threatened animal.
- Western Australia's Pilbara region is home to all of the ‘top’ five animal species worst affected by approved habitat destruction: the northern quoll, night parrot, ghost bat, Pilbara leaf-nosed bat and Pilbara olive python (in that order).
- A total of 42 plants and animals were added to Australia’s list of species threatened with extinction in 2025.
- The night parrot was moved from ‘endangered’ to ‘critically endangered’ and is second on the list of Australian threatened species worst impacted by federally-approved destruction in 2025.
- In January 2025, ACF reported that 2024 was a record-breaking year for the amount of koala habitat consigned to the bulldozers (just over 3,000ha); 2025 smashes that record, with 4,511ha of koala homes given approval to be destroyed.
“In 2025, the government gave the greenlight to bulldoze more than twice as much habitat for threatened species as it did in 2024,” said ACF’s CEO Adam Bandt.
“The 57,000 hectares of government-approved destruction last year are just the tip of the iceberg, with countless more hectares of bush and forests being bulldozed unchecked.
“With new nature laws there’s great potential for change, but the onus is firmly on the Albanese government to turn words into action.
“Once these species are gone, they’re gone forever. As the government finalises the new rules to protect bush and forests and sets up the national EPA, nature needs real protections enforced by a watchdog with real bite.”
Northern quoll pic: David White