2020 target set for more threatened species

Research outputs from Project 2.1 formed an important part of the Minister for the Environment’s Threatened Species Strategy, and supported the listing of 20 threatened birds and 20 threatened mammals as targets for priority conservation actions.

In January 2016, the Minister announced that the mahogany glider, eastern quoll, western ringtail possum, woylie, black-footed rock-wallaby, Gilbert’s potoroo, northern hopping-mouse and Christmas Island flying-fox had joined the list of 20 mammal species prioritised for action under Australia’s first Threatened Species Strategy.

The cassowary, swift parrot, eastern curlew, Australasian bittern, malleefowl, south-eastern red-tailed black cockatoo, white-throated grasswren and golden-shouldered parrot were included in the list of 20 priority bird species.

Professor John Woinarski from Charles Darwin University, who leads Project 2.1 alongside Professor Stephen Garnett, explained that providing such advice is a key role for the Hub.

“Through this project we’ve undertaken assessments of those threatened bird and mammal species that are in the most urgent need of attention because of their high extinction risk.

The additions completed priority lists which were started six months earlier, when the first tranche of eight bird and eight mammal species targeted for action were named at Australia’s first Threatened Species Summit.

The species were added to the lists by the Office of the Threatened Species Commissioner after expert input from and consultation with the scientific community, and assessment against the prioritisation principles in the Threatened Species Strategy. 
Image: Paul Sullivan (CEO Birdlife Australia) with Professor John Woinarski (TSR Hub Theme 2 Leader).