Koalas, rock wallabies, and a rare tree will be included in the list of 92 endangered and iconic species, which will be protected under a new New South Wales (NSW) National Parks plan that has set a target to stop species going extinct in Australia’s state’s national parks.
“Australia has the worst mammal extinction rate in the world,” Kean said. “Today in New South Wales, on Threatened Species Day, we say no more.”
“Globally, one million species face extinction over the coming decades, and as international biodiversity negotiations continue, everyone needs to aim high.”
Measures being implemented to protect threatened species on national parks will include acquiring habitats of key threatened species habitat, which will be added to the national park estate.
The NPWS will also work to establish a network of feral predator-free areas to support the return of more than 25 locally extinct species.
The new plan declares 221 sites as Assets of Intergenerational Significance (AIS) across 110 national parks in regions including Port Macquarie, Wentworth Falls, the Upper Nepean and the Nightcap Ranges, north of Lismore, with 30 around Greater Sydney and 37 south of Canberra.
“These Assets of Intergenerational Significance (AIS) declarations are a game-changer for threatened species, triggering the strongest possible legal protections—mandating conservation plans, targeted feral animal control, bespoke fire management, and monitoring and reporting,” Kean said.
The 92 new species to attain AIS status include 65 plant species and 27 animal species (13 mammals, 4 birds, 7 frogs, and 3 reptiles). Some feature species are the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, koala, dwarf mountain pine, and nightcap oak.