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Table 1 Species listed and under assessment for listing under the EPBC Act, as at 1 January 2021

Organism

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Conservation Dependent

Total

Birds

22

0

17

55

63

0

157

Mammals

39

0

9

41

57

0

146

Reptiles

1

0

9

20

31

0

61

Fish

0

1

8

20

25

8

62

Frogs

4

0

15

9

12

0

40

Other animals

1

0

30

23

13

0

67

All animals

67

1

88

168

201

8

533

Plants

37

0

206

556

586

0

1,385

All threatened species

104a

1

294

724

787

8a

1,918

EPBC Act = Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

  1. Category is not a matter of national environmental significance.

Note: Includes all terrestrial, freshwater and marine species.

Table 2 State and territory native, endemic and threatened vascular plants

State or territory

Total native species

Endemica

Threatened

(EX, EW, CR, EN, VU)

ACT

1,088b

6

13c

NSW

Not available

1,320

671d

NT

4,418e

735e

81f

Qld

8,639g

3,629

775h

SA

3,503i

488

385j

Tas

1,920k

533k

458lm

Vic

Not available

408

1,243m

WA

11,606n

8,952

444o

ACT = Australian Capital Territory; CR = Critically Endangered; EN = Endangered; EW = Extinct in the Wild; EX = Extinct; NSW = New South Wales; NT = Northern Territory; Qld = Queensland; SA = South Australia; Tas = Tasmania; Vic = Victoria; VU = Vulnerable; WA = Western Australia

  1. Numbers are from Gallagher (2020a), unless otherwise noted.
  2. See Lepschi et al. (2019)
  3. See ACT Scientific Committee (2020)
  4. See NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee (2020)
  5. See Cowie et al. (2017)
  6. See FloraNT Northern Territory Flora Online (2015); the number was correct as at October 2021.
  7. See Brown & Bostock (2020)
  8. See DES (2021)
  9. See eFloraSA Electronic Flora of South Australia (2021)
  10. See eFloraSA Electronic Flora of South Australia (2021); note this listing is for ‘SA schedule 7: Endangered species (including Critically Endangered and Extinct species)’ and ‘Schedule 8: Vulnerable species’. It does not include ‘SA Schedule 9: Rare species’. The Rare category criteria are consistent with current IUCN definitions for the Near Threatened category, and encompass species in decline and those that naturally have a limited presence.
  11. See de Salas & Baker (2019)
  12. See NRE (2021)
  13. Number was correct as at October 2021; see DELWP (2021).
  14. See Florabase (2021); the number was correct as at June 2021.
  15. See Threatened Species Scientific Committee (2018)
Table 3 High-impact environmental grass species in Australia

Species

Common name

Ammophila arenaria

Marram grass

Andropogon gayanus

Gamba grass

Anthoxanthum odoratum

Sweet vernal grass

Cenchrus ciliaris

Buffel grass

Cenchrus pedicellatus

Annual mission grass

Cenchrus polystachios

Perennial mission grass

Cenchrus setiger

Birdwood grass

Echinochloa polystachya

Aleman grass

Ehrharta calycina

Perennial veldtgrass

Eragrostis curvula

African love grass

Hymenachne amplexicaulis

Olive hymenachne

Hyparrhenia hirta

Tambookie grass; coolatai grass

Megathyrsus maximus

Guinea grass

Melinis minutiflora

Molasses grass

Spartina anglica

Common cordgrass; rice grass

Themeda quadrivalvis

Grader grass

Urochloa mutica

Para grass

Source: van Klinken & Friedel (2018)

Table 4 Insects that cause environmental harm in Australia

Order

Species

Common name

Year of first detection

Hymenoptera

Apis mellifera

European honey bee

1820

Hymenoptera

Solenopsis geminata

Tropical fire ant

1863

Hymenoptera

Paratrechina longicornis

Black crazy ant

1886

Hymenoptera

Monomorium floricola

Floral ant

1910

Hymenoptera

Monomorium destructor

Singapore ant

1910

Hymenoptera

Pheidole megacephala

African big-headed ant

1911

Coleoptera

Heteronychus arator

African black beetle

1920

Hymenoptera

Linepithema humile

Argentine ant

1939

Hymenoptera

Vespula vulgaris

Common wasp

1959

Hymenoptera

Vespula germanica

European wasp

1959

Hymenoptera

Anoplolepis gracilipes

Yellow crazy ant

1975

Hymenoptera

Polistes chinensis

Asian paper wasp

1979

Hymenoptera

Megachile rotundata

Leafcutting bee

1987

Hymenoptera

Bombus terrestris

Large earth bumblebee

1992

Hymenoptera

Solenopsis invicta

Red imported fire ant

2001

Hymenoptera

Wasmannia auropunctata

Electric ant

2006

Hymenoptera

Apis cerana

Asian honey bee

2007

Source: Invasive Species Council & Monash University (2020)

Table 5 Summary of results against targets of the Threatened Species Strategy 2015–20

Type of target

5-year target

Overall result

Summary

Species trajectory targets

20 priority birds have improved trajectories

Not met

21 bird species were listed as priority species. Over the strategy period:

  • 6 species improved
  • 6 species deteriorated
  • 4 were reasonably stable
  • 5 had trajectories that may have changed but not significantly so.

Following the 2019–20 bushfires, 3 of the 21 priority bird species – the regent honeyeater (Anthochaera phrygia), the eastern bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) and the western ground parrot (Pezoporus flaviventris) – were identified as priorities for urgent management intervention by the Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel. These species are now receiving targeted support for recovery.

20 priority mammals have improved trajectories

Not met

20 mammal species were listed as priority species. Over the strategy period:

  • 8 species improved
  • 5 species deteriorated
  • 1 was reasonably stable
  • 6 had trajectories that may have changed but not significantly so.

On-ground recovery actions to protect Australia’s mammals include monitoring, habitat restoration, and reducing the impact of predators such as feral cats and red foxes. Where threats in the wild are too great for threatened mammals to persist, establishing ex situ populations in predator-free safe havens has been supported through funding for captive breeding and translocation programs.

30 priority plant species have improved trajectories

Not met

30 plant species were listed as priority species. Over the strategy period:

  • 10 species improved
  • 4 species deteriorated
  • 16 species were reasonably stable or had a nonsignificant change in trajectory.

Increasing monitoring efforts over 2015–20 led to discoveries of new populations of some plants, revealing them to be more common than originally assessed (e.g. Fitzgerald’s mulla-mulla – Ptilotus fasciculatus, which has since been de-listed under the EPBC Act, and the purple-flowered wattle – Acacia purpureopetala).

For 4 of the 30 priority plant species, considerable doubts were raised about their taxonomic validity: Banksia vincentia, blue-top sun-orchid (Thelymitra cyanapicata), silver daisy bush (Olearia pannosa subsp. pannosa) and scaly-leaved featherflower (Verticordia spicata subsp. squamosa).

100% of Australia’s known threatened plant species are stored in 1 or more of Australia’s conservation seed banks

Not met

Approximately 67% of Australia’s listed threatened species (930 of 1,373 species) are now stored in conservation seed banks. Recent research suggests that some of the remaining species may not be amenable to traditional seed-banking methods.

Although some threatened species are represented by multiple collections of suitable size, many species are represented by collections of fewer than 500 seeds.

Recovery actions underway for at least 50 plants

Met

Recovery actions are underway for all 30 plant species targeted by the strategy. The 5-year report notes that hundreds of other listed plant species also have recovery actions underway through a range of government and nongovernment programs and initiatives.

Recovery actions underway for at least 60 threatened ecological communities

Met

Recovery actions are underway for more than 60 threatened ecological communities through programs such as 20 Million Trees (at least 54 sites), Regional Land Partnerships (32 different communities) and bushfire recovery programs (16 priority threatened ecological communities).

Feral cat targets

Feral cats eradicated from 5 islands

Not met

Eradication was achieved on Dirk Hartog Island in Western Australia only. Progress has been made towards eradication on Bruny Island, French Island, Kangaroo Island and Christmas Island. Funding to support eradication efforts continues through the Regional Land Partnerships and Environment Restoration Fund programs through to June 2023.

10 feral-free mainland exclosures established

Met

Between July 2015 and July 2020, 10 feral cat-free mainland exclosures were completed or were in the final stages of completion.

In 2019, the Australian Government boosted efforts to establish a national network of safe havens through a $10 million commitment under the Environment Restoration Fund. The commitment includes a focus on increasing the number of species not currently represented in the safe havens network, drawing on research from the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub.

10 million hectares of best-practice feral cat management

Met

Feral cat control has been undertaken (at least once) across more than 18 million hectares. Feral cat management has focused on delivering humane and best-practice control across high conservation value areas. This includes the repetitive deployment of feral cat control tools so that feral cat densities are maintained at low levels, reducing predation pressure on recovering native wildlife.

Best-practice feral cat action implemented across 2 million hectares of Commonwealth land

Partially met

Best-practice feral cat control has been implemented across more than 1.9 million hectares of Commonwealth land, including Department of Defence and Parks Australia estates.

2 million feral cats culled

Partially met

The estimated number of cats culled over the 5-year strategy is nearly 1.6 million. When the target to cull 2 million feral cats was set in 2015, the national feral cat population was estimated to be 15–20 million cats. Research under the National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub has since revised down the estimate of feral cats to 2.1 million when environmental conditions limit available resources, and up to 6.3 million in times of plenty. This has increased the level of difficulty in meeting this target.

Shooters, hunters and farmers are estimated to be the most significant cohort of feral cat cullers, removing more than 85% of the cats culled over the 5-year period.

Improved recovery practices targets

All states and territories operate under the common assessment methodology for species listing

Met

All jurisdictions are actively involved in implementing the Common Assessment Method.

Based on updated work plans, effective and up-to-date recovery plans, conservation advices and threat abatement plans are in place for all priority species and threats

Not met

All listed priority threatened species had a recovery plan and/or conservation advice in force but not all were up to date as of 30 June 2020.

Up-to-date plans (that were approved or updated within the 5-year period) were in place for 9 mammals, 13 birds and 10 plants as of 30 June 2020.