6.16: Endangered Species and Ecological Communities

Continue to protect endangered species and ecological communities.

Other Information:

In the lowland areas of the ACT, in and around Canberra’s suburbs, several endangered species are dependent on two endangered ecological communities—natural temperate grasslands and yellow box–red gum grassy woodlands. The grasslands are an endangered ecological community under the ACT Nature Conservation Act 1980 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. It is estimated that less than 1 per cent of Australia’s natural temperate grasslands remain, although the ACT has 5 per cent of its pre-European extent of grasslands. The yellow box–red gum grassy woodlands have also been declared endangered under the Nature Conservation Act and are critically endangered under federal legislation. Although the remaining lowland woodland area in the ACT is not large, a much higher proportion is relatively intact than is the case in New South Wales or nationally, so its ongoing protection from urban development is important for the ACT, the region and the nation.

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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