The long-term recovery of Australia’s platypus and other targeted species impacted by the black summer bushfires are to be assisted with the appointment of National Species Coordinators across all jurisdictions to manage State and local efforts.
Announced by the Minister for the Environment, Sussan Ley, the new roles are to coordinate on-ground action such as habitat protection, pest animal control, monitoring and research to directly assist the affected species.
“We know many areas were hit hard in the Black Summer bushfires and a staggering and distressing number of species were impacted, we need to continue to focus on those animals that are struggling to recover,” Ms Ley said.
“The species that will benefit from this funding were drawn from the Wildlife and Threatened Species Bushfire Recovery Expert Panel’s list of species that required assistance following the fires and includes five mammals, three birds and a group of Alpine reptiles,” she said.
She said $10 million in funding would provide for the formation of new working groups to identify the priority locations and recovery actions for the selected species.
The Minister said the working groups would be comprised of Government and non-Government organisations, scientists, species experts, landholders, and natural resource managers.
“Each species will receive between $500,000 to $1 million for recovery activities with a species coordinator appointed for each species to lead recovery efforts,” she said.
Ms Ley said recovery actions identified by the species coordinators and working groups would be delivered over the next 15 months.
She said the priority species were the Grey-headed Flying-fox; Brush-tailed rock-wallaby; Spotted Quoll, South East Mainland population; Long-nosed Potoroo, South East Mainland population; Platypus; Eastern Bristlebird; Gang Gang Cockatoo; Mainland Glossy Black Cockatoo; Gliders; and Alpine Reptiles.
