A turtle named after the late Steve Irwin is one of 10 animals newly added to Australia’s threatened species list.
The new fauna listings are one seabird, one crayfish, one turtle, two freshwater fish, two dolphins and three frogs.
Twelve plant species have also been added. The flora listings are an orchid, four trees and seven shrubs, all of which are from New South Wales or Queensland.
“It’s upsetting to see more Australian plants and animals pushed closer to extinction,” said ACF’s nature campaigner Darcie Carruthers.
“Extinction is a choice. Every plant and animal relies on the environment that surrounds it.
“Each of these species is being affected by the destruction and degradation of its forest, savannah, river or ocean homes.
“When corporations bulldoze the bush and use rivers and oceans as a dumping ground, it harms Australia’s unique wildlife and flora.
“Climate change, driven by the ongoing burning of coal and gas, continues to push Australian species to the limit.
“Irwin’s turtle, named for Steve Irwin, is one of the species being affected by climate change. The turtle, which is found in three north Queensland river catchments – the Johnstone, the Burdekin and the Daintree rivers – is susceptible to a bacterial disease that hits during particularly hot periods. The destruction of vegetation around rivers, mostly for agriculture and grazing, has damaged its habitat, as have pest fish and the construction of dams and weirs.
“The little tern, a stunning migratory seabird, has two subpopulations – one that breeds along the north coast between Cape York and Broome and a southern subpopulation that breeds in Tasmania, east Gippsland, the southwestern beaches of Victoria and along the NSW coast from Coffs Harbour to Tathra. The destruction of its habitat for industrial uses and urban sprawl has taken a toll, as have off-road vehicles that run over its nests.
“Little terns are one of the many Australian native species likely to be impacted by Cyclone Alfred.
“We know Australians love nature and believe more federal government funding should be directed to protecting it. Around 0.01% of the federal budget is allocated to nature protection. It’s not enough.
“The Albanese government made a commitment to zero new extinctions, but these are empty words without wholesale changes to our failing nature laws.
“Prime Minister Albanese promised Australians strong new nature laws in 2022. To date, he’s got nothing to show for it.
“Going into a federal election, Australians have an opportunity to choose parliamentarians who will act to protect nature and the climate, not do the bidding of powerful vested interests.
“Without stronger nature laws and an independent regulator, Australians are going to keep seeing the animals we love pushed towards extinction.”
The latest additions to the threatened species list are:
Fauna
Murray crayfish (vulnerable)
Giant burrowing frog (endangered)
Southern giant burrowing frog (endangered)
Mount Ballow mountain frog (endangered)
Western dwarf galaxias (vulnerable)
Western Victorian blackfish (endangered)
Australian humpback dolphin (vulnerable)
Australian snubfin dolphin (vulnerable)
Little tern (vulnerable)
Irwin’s turtle / White-headed snapping turtle (vulnerable)
Flora
Blackwall Range kurrajong (critically endangered)
Wadbilliga Ash (critically endangered)
Eucalyptus scopulorum (critically endangered)
Eucalyptus sp. Cattai (Gregson s.n., 28 Aug 1954) = Eucalyptus cryptica critically endangered)
Boronia deanei subsp. acutifolia (endangered subspecies)
Boronia deanei subsp. deanei (endangered subspecies)
Awl-leaved Boronia (endangered)
Kaputar Cassinia (endangered)
Ettrema Mallee (endangered)
Woodland Babingtonia (endangered)
Prostanthera tallowa (endangered)
Metcalfe’s Greenhood (endangered)
