Queensland conservationists call for greater protection of endangered species

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Conservationists are calling on the Queensland government to take stronger action to protect native species under threat. A recent report found more than 100 animal and plant species were listed as threatened in the past few years and three animals were marked as extinct.

Transcript

00:00These stunning swamp orchids are native to Queensland.

00:06The rare flower is also endangered

00:09and conservationists are worried more species are under threat.

00:13We need to have more action

00:15because clearly what we're doing at the moment is not enough.

00:18A recent State of the Environment report

00:21found an additional 114 animals and plants in Queensland

00:26were listed as threatened between 2019 and 2024.

00:31Three animals were listed as extinct.

00:34The key threatening processes in that report and overall

00:37are things like land clearing.

00:39We're falling over in many, many places unfortunately

00:42and this government is not taking the environment seriously.

00:45Another study looking at tree and land cover in Queensland

00:49showed more than 147,000 hectares

00:53was cleared in the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

00:56That made up 44% of the state's total clearing activity in 2022-23.

01:04Calls for the LNP to double protected areas to 17% by 2030

01:10and reduce the impacts of climate change and invasive pests.

01:15The Queensland Government is not doing enough

01:17to safeguard and protect the reef for future generations.

01:20Environment Minister Andrew Powell says the government is committed

01:24to increasing protected areas

01:26with more than 10,000 hectares added since October last year.

01:31More than $60 million will also be spent to improve water quality

01:36in the Great Barrier Reef this financial year.

01:39The state's natural beauty, too important not to protect.

01:44That's what we've been asked for.

01:45So there's a question,

01:46that's very, very, very likely.

01:47That's very good.

01:48The question, what does that research look like?

01:50You haven't said exactly what they've been there

01:51in the group.

01:52You have participated in a group called St. Paul

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