Last week, very quietly, the Australian government added 49 new species of flora and fauna to their Department of the Environment’s threatened and endangered list. The reserve the government showed in not publicizing this event is not a good sign.
Australian Conservation Foundation campaigner Jess Abrahams said 49 species were added on Thursday without notice from the federal environment minister, Greg Hunt, or his ministry.
“Normally they’ll put out a press release and talk about all the great work they’re doing to turn this around. This time it just slipped out.”
Many of the new species added are threatened by logging and mining and other loss of habitat; and it does not look like the government has any immediate plans to deal with these environmental impact issues. A few bats added to the list live in caves that happen to be connected to a mining proposal that is under consideration from the local government.
The limestone karst formations and their associated cave systems are key habitats for the three species, and Abrahams said the only known breeding site in Australia for two of them.
The mining proposal is currently before the Queensland government but has yet to be referred to the federal government for assessment under the EPBC Act. Approving it would only put the bats further at risk, said Abrahams.
There are politicians pushing on both sides and besides money, many green-minded Australians believe that law-enforcement and better planning must be a part of the equation.