Latest news with #BiodiversityCouncil
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Secret hidden beneath Australia's 'most important' parcel of land
The last place in the world where a rare lizard lives is a tightly guarded secret because the tiny creature is highly prized by collectors. But even more valuable is the land where the Victorian grassland earless dragons live — a single farm west of Melbourne that sits right in the middle of a landscape earmarked for development 20 years ago. While a captive breeding program has been established at Melbourne Zoo, less than two per cent of viable dragon habitat remains intact in Victoria, and there are growing concerns government isn't doing enough to protect what remains. On Thursday, the experts who know the species best sounded the alarm in a new report published by the Biodiversity Council, saying 'urgent action' is needed to protect the dragon from extinction in the wild. Peter Robertson is a reptile ecologist and a member of the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon Recovery Team, who has been studying the species since it was rediscovered living inside tiny burrows in 2023. In his opinion, the property where the dragons live is the "most important" parcel of land in Australia that's not yet in public hands. 'It's only three paddocks that the whole world population is now known from, and there's every chance that it will never be found anywhere else,' he told Yahoo News. 'It may persist in little populations elsewhere, but we don't know.' When it comes to new developments in native grasslands where the dragons could still persist, the land first needs to be assessed by ecologists. But there's plenty of development in potential habitat that's underway right now, because it was green-lit before its rediscovery and its listing as a critically endangered species. The earth has been broken at the property next door to the rediscovery site, and soon, there will be dozens of houses occupying the land. And while that's great news for developers and people who need somewhere to live, the increased traffic on roads, the dogs and cats, and the fragmentation of habitat will likely be bad news for the dragon. Prior to its rediscovery, Victoria's distinct dragon species hadn't been seen since the 1960s, and many thought it was extinct. But scientists never gave up hope, and in 2019 a Museums Victoria dragon expert said she was confident they could survive, while Zoos Victoria began mapping the state for potential habitat. The dragon's rediscovery was ultimately accidental. It was found during a routine survey of animals and plants, because the broader region was set to be rezoned for development. 🔍 Is the Bathurst grassland earless dragon extinct? 😳 Grim reason three new dragon species were added to the threatened species list 🚨 Fears for future of tiny dragon stalling construction of 310,000 new homes That farm where it was found is potentially worth tens of millions of dollars. Those working to protect the dragons are concerned the government has yet to put in an offer to buy the property, putting its owners and the future of the dragons in limbo. Robertson thinks conserving this 'one known population' needs to be the 'number one' priority of the government if it wants to stop its extinction. And he warns its future is far from being secure. 'When we can see what's clearly required, and nothing's happening, and nothing's happened for more than two years since the rediscovery. It is really frustrating,' he said. 'This might be the one chance we have to save this species. If we don't secure that habitat it may go back to apparent extinction, just like we assumed for decades.' Dragons are often described as a 'Goldilocks species' because they require habitat to be 'just right' — a mosaic of short to moderate grass tussocks as well as areas that support basking in the sun. At the rediscovery site, it's 60 years of sheep grazing that's kept the grass low, creating a perfect environment perfect for dragons. But other viable habitat on private land has been left for decades to degrade, and it will need significant rehabilitation if it's ever to be home to dragons again. Biodiversity Council spokesperson and report contributing author, Janna Dielenberg, thinks it's unlikely that the dragon could be rediscovered due to the region being developed. 'The chances of another discovery are exceedingly slim,' she told Yahoo News. In 2010, the Victorian government committed to buying 15,000 hectares of private land over a decade to protect rare native grasslands and create the Western Grassland Reserve (WGR). But 15 years on, the plan has not been completed and just 4,000 hectares have been protected. It was conceived as part of a deal with the Commonwealth called the Melbourne Strategic Assessment (MSA) that allowed the state to take charge of development in sensitive areas. One major concern is that the MSA has not been updated to include the rediscovery site. And the Biodiversity Council says it's 'disappointed' that over the last 15 years, other land that might have once been a great asset to dragons has been allowed to degrade because it's yet to be purchased by the Victorian government. Dielenberg said land that was in 'great healthy condition' is now overrun with weeds, used for dumping soil, or transformed from sheep grazing to crops, making it no longer suitable for dragons. 'Sheep farming has become less profitable over that time. And when they plough it all up for crops it rips up their burrows, and destroys the grasslands forever,' she said. In a statement Victoria's department of environment (DEECA) said it is "protecting" native grassland habitats by continuing to acquire and rehabilitate land. 'This is funded by the MSA levy which is paid by developers and therefore proceeds in line with the rate of development in the area,' it said. 'We are working with the private landholder and other stakeholders on ways to protect the dragon rediscovery site, as well as delivering a successful conservation breeding program for the Victorian grassland earless dragon with the Commonwealth Government.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Millions of pet owners urged to do one thing as major change looms for households
There is just over a week remaining for millions of pet owners to have their say on laws that impact them, as several organisations band together to urge changes to cat ownership rules to prevent the domestic animals killing wildlife. Potential changes could see homeowners forced to overhaul their homes and habits if they own a cat. The NSW government is reviewing the Companion Animals Act 1998 — legislation that outlines the rules and requirements of pet ownership in the state, as well as penalties for not abiding by them. Wildlife charities such as the Biodiversity Council, Nature Conservation Council and the Invasive Species Council (ISC) are unanimous on their stance that cats should not be allowed to roam outdoors in NSW. "Hundreds of thousands of roaming pet cats are sending our suburbs silent but, unlike in almost every other state, NSW councils cannot implement basic cat curfews due to barriers in archaic state laws," Jack Gough from the ISC told Yahoo News. The ISC is encouraging Aussies to provide feedback in a similar vain to the public inquiry and the hope is the Companion Animals Act 1998 will be amended to stop cats from roaming outdoors, at the very least during the night. "This inquiry brings with it a real opportunity to get serious about protecting our wildlife from one of the biggest drivers of extinction in this country," Gough said. The last day for submissions into the public injury is May 4. In Sydney and around Australia, 70 per cent of cat owners allow their cats outdoors and this has devastating consequences to wildlife. In Sydney alone, an estimated 66 million native animals are killed by roaming cats every year and the national figure is extraordinary at 323 million. There has long been calls for tougher restrictions on cat ownership to curb this issue and while many other states and territories have introduced rules, legislation in NSW currently doesn't allow councils to do so. "Councils across the state are crying out for this amendment so they can protect their local bushland from the enormous impacts of roaming pet cats," Gough said. "This is a stark contrast to the ACT which requires residents to contain their cats, or Victoria where over 50 per cent of councils have introduced cat containment laws. "Owning a pet cat should come with clear responsibilities to ensure your pet is not roaming around killing our native birds, mammals, reptiles and frogs." 🐱 Teacher's incredible reunion with cat missing for more than two years 😔 Homeowner's garden photo highlights 'devastating' problem 👀 Little-known $1,650 fine Aussies can cop without realising Advocates pushing for cats to remain indoors say it's a win-win proposal as it protects wildlife but also increases the average lifespan of a cat as those who stay indoors are estimated to live 10 years longer than those who roam, according to the Cat Protection Society of NSW. "A cat kept safely at home will live a longer life, pick up less diseases and is less likely to get injured in car accidents, dog attacks or cat fights, and they have far fewer vet bills," Gough said. While the precise number of pet cats in the state is unclear, there are more than 4.7 million dogs and cats kept as pets in NSW. The review will also look at implementing recommendations from the coronial inquest into dog attacks. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
The Guardian
08-04-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Massive swarms of bogong moths once resembled rain clouds – then their numbers crashed to earth
The bogong moth was once so abundant it was mistaken for weather. During Sydney's Olympic Games in 2000, a swarm of bogong moths attracted by stadium lights was so huge that meteorologists mistook it for a rain cloud. But the species known as 'deberra' in Taungurung language – an insect with deep cultural and ecological importance, but which is smaller and lighter than a paperclip – has not returned to those numbers since the population collapsed by up to 99.5% in the two years before 2019. In February the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, decided against listing the species as threatened under federal conservation laws, citing gaps in data and uncertainties about the moth's population due to limited monitoring and its migratory nature. The bogong moth has been on the global endangered list compiled by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature since 2021. Prof Brendan Wintle, a lead councillor at the Biodiversity Council and a conservation ecologist at the University of Melbourne, calls Plibersek's decision 'very disappointing' given that most experts agree the species is in trouble. Every spring, bogong moths migrate hundreds of kilometres to escape the summer heat, travelling from low-lying breeding grounds in southern Queensland and western New South Wales and Victoria to mountainous caves and rocky crevices in the Australian Alps. 'They do that without ever having done that before,' Wintle says. 'It's quite unique for such a small animal to travel such a long distance.' Get Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as an email While bogong moth numbers have improved, they remain well below levels recorded before the crash. Wintle says the shift from 'hyper abundant' to scarce could have catastrophic consequences for alpine ecosystems. The species is under pressure from the climate crisis, he says, and from land clearing for farming. Bogong moths rely on cold temperatures at the top of mountains for a period of dormancy to complete their life cycle. But those places are rapidly warming. The moths are widely known and recognised but scientists say there are 'fundamental knowledge gaps' about where they breed, how much their population has fluctuated and the threats they face. They are calling for significant funding to plug knowledge gaps and to work out how to protect the species. The population decline has ecological and cultural implications. Bogong moths are a crucial food source for the mountain pygmy possum, a critically endangered species and Australia's only hibernating marsupial. Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion Dr Marissa Parrott, a senior conservation biologist at Zoos Victoria, says the possums rely on the moths for important fats, proteins and nutrients after waking from five to seven months hibernating under snow. She says the species is critical to alpine ecosystems because its annual migration brings an influx of nutrients that nourished the soil, fungi, plants and animals. The bogong moth also is culturally significant to many First Nations people, including the Taungurung people of central Victoria. Matt Shanks, executive manager of bio-cultural landscapes at Taungurung Land & Waters Council, says the high-elevation sites where the moths spend the summer were also important ceremonial and meeting places for Taungurung and other First Nations people. Deberra feature in Indigenous stories stretching back tens of thousands of years. At the height of its population, the moths were recorded in every state and in the Australian Capital Territory. Wintle says this means saving the species will require nationwide coordination by governments, First Nations communities, land owners, researchers and citizen scientists – a project he says would be on a similar scale to that required to restore the Murray-Darling basin. A genetic analysis published in the journal Biological Conservation found high levels of genetic diversity in moth populations, suggesting they arrive in the Alps from a variety of breeding sites then mix randomly. Dr Collin Ahrens, a conservation geneticist and co-author of the paper, says it suggests site-specific conservation measures would be less useful than strategies that supported the species across its entire range, including work to understand and limit farming practices that could be contributing to its decline. Parrott says there is significant public enthusiasm for bogong moths, demonstrated by members of the public reporting nearly 2,000 moth sightings to a Zoos Victoria citizen science platform, Moth Tracker, between September and December. About half of the sightings have been verified as bogong moths. She says the data collected could improve understanding of the 'tiny but mighty' moths by tracking movements and population changes. Dr Kate Umbers, an associate professor in zoology at Western Sydney University and the managing director of Invertebrates Australia, says the moths' Australia-wide distribution is 'great, in a way, because it means everybody can be part of looking after it'. 'They have the potential to get agricultural and conservation scientists working together to solve these 'grand challenges' of biodiversity conservation, around how we manage land effectively, to both feed people and look after nature,' she says. But Umbers says it will be more challenging to fund and coordinate research and recovery efforts while the species is not recognised as threatened under federal law. In the short-term, she says the assessment process has identified areas in which more data is needed, and emphasised the need for the community to work together to protect the moth and its extraordinary migration.
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Last chance: the extinction crisis this election is ignoring
Australia is facing an extinction crisis. Over the next week, we will bring you stories of hope, resilience and determination as passionate volunteers across Australia stand up for Australia's endangered species. Most parliamentarians might be surprised to learn it, but Australians care about nature. Late last year, the not-for-profit Biodiversity Council commissioned a survey of 3,500 Australians to gauge what they thought about the environment. A vast majority of people – 96% – said more action was needed to look after Australia's natural environment. 'Last chance' highlights the people trying to circumvent this in their own quiet way by working to save threatened animals where they live.
The Guardian
06-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Australia is in an extinction crisis – why isn't it an issue at this election?
Most parliamentarians might be surprised to learn it, but Australians care about nature. Late last year, the not-for-profit Biodiversity Council commissioned a survey of 3,500 Australians – three times the size of the oft-cited Newspoll and representative of the entire population – to gauge what they thought about the environment. The results tell a striking story at odds with the prevailing political and media debate. A vast majority of people – 96% – said more action was needed to look after Australia's natural environment. Nearly two-thirds were between moderately and extremely concerned about the loss of plants and animals around where they live. Unsurprisingly, the cost of living was way ahead when people were asked to nominate the issues they would like leaders to prioritise. But the environment was in a peloton of four issues vying for second place, alongside housing, healthcare and the economy. On what they would like to see done, three-quarters of respondents said they would back stronger national nature laws, including the introduction of clear environment standards against which development proposals could be measured and potentially rejected. Any survey should be treated cautiously, but the Biodiversity Council's director, James Trezise, says it is not a one-off – the results are consistent with the findings of similar surveys in 2022 and 2023. They are also clearly at odds with where Anthony Albanese ended this term of parliament, with Peter Dutton's support. After bowing to an aggressive industry-led backlash in Western Australia to shelve a commitment to create a national Environment Protection Agency, the prime minister rushed through a law to protect Tasmanian salmon farming from an environmental review. Get Guardian Australia environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as an email Longtime campaigners say it meant the term began with a government promising the environment would be 'back on the priority list', including a once-in-a-generation revamp of nature laws, but finished with existing legislation being weakened in a way that could yet have broader ramifications. The message from peer-reviewed science is blunt: Australia is in an extinction crisis. Over the past decade, more than 550 Australian species have been either newly recognised as at risk of extinction or moved a step closer to being erased from the planet. The full list of threatened Australian animals, plants and ecological communities now has more than 2,200 entries. It includes some of the country's most loved native species, including the koala, the Tasmanian devil, the northern hairy-nosed wombat and a range of the type of animals that Australians take for granted: parrots, cockatoos, finches, quolls, gliders, wallabies, frogs, snakes and fish. Scientists say that, unless something is done to improve their plight, many could become extinct this century. Partly, this is linked to a global threat – what is described as the world's sixth mass extinction, and the first driven by humans. But part of it is specifically Australian and avoidable. A 2021 government state-of-the-environment report found the country's environment was in poor and deteriorating health due to a list of pressures – habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and mining, and the climate crisis. Australia tops global rankings for mammal extinction – at least 33 species have died out since European invasion and colonisation – and is number two behind Indonesia for loss of biodiversity. In recent weeks, the overriding question from scientists and conservationists who dedicate their lives to protecting the country's unique wildlife has been: what will it take for national leaders to take the issue seriously? And will this campaign – and the next parliament – be a last chance to hope for something better? 'A lot of people in the scientific and conservation community have found the last three years exceptionally frustrating. A lot was promised, but in the end we went backwards,' Trezise says. 'The survey shows there is a clear mismatch between what Australians expect the government to be doing and what it is actually doing. And it found there has been a decline in trust in politicians on the issue, particularly the major parties.' Over the next week, Guardian Australia's environment team will tell the stories of passionate people trying to circumvent this in their own quiet way by working to save threatened animals. This work is most often done with little, if any, government support. One of the findings from the Biodiversity Council is the extent to which Australians overestimate the federal government's commitment to biodiversity. Most guess that about 1% of the budget is dedicated to nature programs, a proportion that the Greens have said they would argue for from the crossbench, and that would translate to about $7.8bn a year. Trezise says that, while funding for nature has increased since Labor was elected in 2022, the reality is that in last month's budget, on-ground biodiversity programs received just 0.06% of spending – or just six cents for every $100 committed. Lesley Hughes, professor emerita at Macquarie University and a senior figure in environmental science as a member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists and the Biodiversity Council, says it is a 'deeply depressing' figure given most people would think even 1% was a 'pathetically small amount' to save species from extinction and preserve places they care about. 'I do think it shows politicians totally underestimate how much people care about nature,' she says. She says it is tied to a broader lack of understanding that a healthy biosphere is 'our life support system'. 'We should treat it as a precious heritage item that is irreplaceable, and we need to see ourselves as part of nature. We are just another species,' she says. 'OK, we're a clever, resilient and adaptable species, but we've destroyed so much because we haven't seen ourselves as being dependent and a part of it.' Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion The failure to directly address entrenched issues in environmental protection is not new. The singer and activist Peter Garrett had first-hand experience of how nature is considered in government decision-making, having served as Labor environment minister between 2007 and 2010. Garrett blocked development proposals more than other environment ministers, but says nature protection was rarely seen as a first-order issue by leaders in government and bureaucracy. He has seen no substantial improvement since leaving parliament. 'That's a tragedy, particularly given the policy commitments that the current government had when it came into power,' the former Midnight Oil singer says. 'The problem that we have is that, whether it's at a federal or at a state level – and notwithstanding the best intentions and efforts of environment ministers and [non-government organisations] and scientists who advocate on behalf of nature – when it comes to the final decisions that are taken in the cabinet room by political leaders through the prism of economics, nature always comes last. There are exceptions to that, but very few.' Garrett says addressing that requires a shift in thinking at the top of government, but also across the community. He agrees Australians love nature, but says it often becomes a lower-order issue at the ballot box. It means that while conservation gains are possible – for example, an expansion in protected areas and support for First Nations ranger programs under Labor in this term – they mostly happen in places that no one wants to exploit. 'It's very difficult in this country to break the cognitive dissonance between us loving our wildlife and enjoying an incredible environment and actually putting resolute steps in place to make sure that it's protected, even if that comes at a cost,' Garrett says. Trezise says that is backed up by another finding from the survey – that while people care about nature and want more done to protect it, they have little real insight into how steep the decline has become, or what a biodiversity crisis actually means. Part of what it means goes beyond what is captured by a threatened species list. It also refers to the loss of diversity within species and ecosystems, including local extinctions of once abundant creatures. This has become a common story for many Australians who have watched the disappearance of wildlife from particular areas during their lifetimes. To give one example: Brendan Sydes, the national biodiversity policy adviser with the Australian Conservation Foundation, lives in central Victoria. Grey-crowned babblers, birds with a curved beak and distinctive cry that are found across tropical and subtropical areas, were common in nearby bush earlier this century, but in more recent years have vanished. 'For us there's a sort of a continuing discussion of: have you heard these birds recently? And the answer is: maybe they've gone, maybe we're not going to see them any more. And that's the legacy of fragmentation of habitat and the vulnerability that results from that,' he says. 'The same thing is happening with other once common species. And once something's gone from the area, it's likely gone forever.' Sydes says it is easy to become immune to this sort of decline. 'It's become a sort of feature of Australian nature. We really need strong, dedicated action for it to start to turn around,' he says. How to respond to this is a deeply challenging question. It could start with an end to the government greenlighting the clearing of forest and woodlands relied on by threatened species. The Australian Conservation Foundation found nearly 26,000 hectares – an area more than 90 times the size of the Sydney CBD – was approved for destruction last year. Under the existing laws, far more clearing than this happens without federal oversight. The challenge is not only to stop the loss of habitat but to restore the environment in places it has been lost in 250 years of European-driven clearing. Experts say that becomes particularly important in an age of climate crisis, when species adapted to living at particular temperatures and with particular levels of rain are being driven from their longtime habitats as the local conditions change. Connecting fragmented forests and other parcels of nature will become increasingly important. Laying over the top of this is the impact of invasive species that kill and diminish native species, but are now so pervasive that they have changed the landscape for ever. It means there is no going back to the environment of 1750. A question that the political debate over the environment has yet to fully grapple with is what success from here actually looks like. The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, raised the idea this term by promising a 'nature positive' future, adopting a term that overseas has been defined as halting and reversing nature loss by 2030 measured against a 2020 baseline and achieving 'full recovery' by 2050. It would require retaining existing natural ecosystems – both areas that are highly intact and remnant fragments – and starting immediate restoration work on damaged and lost nature areas. But achieving that will demand significant funding – whether from public or private sources – in addition to tightening laws to prevent further destruction. Labor passed legislation to encourage private investment, but hasn't explained how, or when, it will arrive in significant sums. It is unclear if the 'nature positive' tag will survive into the next term given it has been rejected by WA industry, among others. Albanese has again promised to fix the laws and introduce a different model of EPA to that promised this term, but given no details. Dutton says no one can say the existing environment protection system is inadequate and promises faster decisions to allow developments to go ahead. In her darker moments, Hughes wonders if anything can change, but she says she remains an optimist. She sees signs of a resurgence in the idea that people need to connect with and value nature as important to the human race, and says it could make nature and species conversation become a higher priority. 'Let's hope that's the case,' she says. Garrett says the path ahead for people who want change needs to be 'building community and organisational strengths', and supporting activists prepared to put themselves on the frontline using nonviolent direct action against fossil fuel exploitation and environment destruction. 'It's about a transformative ethic that lifts what we have and recognises what we have been able to secure jointly,' he says. 'It gave us a great conservation estate – look at the world heritage areas, look at Kakadu – but those great gains are in danger. 'Are we going to see unfettered housing developments and oil and gas exploration basically take over every square metre of the continent that's left for them to do it? Or are we going to draw a line in the sand? It's time to draw that line.'
