On National Threatened Species Day, the Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has sounded a stark warning about new data revealing a continued surge in the amount of habitat approved for clearing in 2026.
CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said that at the start of September, we surpassed 200,000 hectares (ha) of native vegetation clearing applications currently before the State Government, with 54,000 ha already approved.
"Alarmingly, this includes more than 150,000 ha in the Pilbara region alone, which provides critical habitat for threatened species like the Northern Quoll, Olive Python and Ghost Bat,” Mr Roberts said.
“In addition, there is around 770 ha of habitat in the Perth metro area on the chopping block, 9,900 ha in the Midwest, 21,000 ha in the Goldfields/Esperance region, 700 ha in the Kimberley, 2,720 ha in the Gascoyne and almost 700 ha in the South West, with more across the Great Southern, Wheatbelt, Peel and other WA territories.
“We cannot continue to clear habitat at this rate and scale if we have any hope in preventing further extinctions in WA,” he said.
Last month, five Australian marsupials were confirmed extinct on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (ICUN) Red List, including the crested-tailed Mulgara, a tiny carnivorous marsupial once found across Western Australia.
“These extinctions are not the result of a lack of warning. They are the consequence of decades of missed opportunities by all levels of government to act before it was too late.
“But extinctions are not inevitable. While the scale of what we are facing in Western Australia is enormous, it’s not insurmountable.
“CCWA released a report in July which outlines many of the reforms needed to prevent future extinctions, and where communities and all levels of government can play a role in protecting threatened species.
“Even before H5N1 Avian Flu, CCWA’s ‘Back from the Brink’ Report revealed the vast extent of work already required to address our extinction crisis. It is, at its core, 36 recommended State Government reforms that are all needed to meaningfully protect WA’s unique biodiversity.
“Recent good news about our iconic numbats shows what can be achieved when funding and resources are invested into recovery. Following decades of sustained conservation efforts, it has recently been downlisted on the IUCN’s Red List from endangered to near threatened.
“However, while the status change is encouraging, there’s still a lot of work to do. It’s the tip of the iceberg in the conservation fight.
“As we’re seeing with the dire future facing the critically endangered Western Swamp Tortoise, the level of government commitment across the board isn’t going far enough – we are losing nature one species after another.
“There are many groups out there doing great work in the protection and restoration of nature, but their efforts could end in an instant without the support of increased government spending and reform for conservation.
“As of July 2026, 17 flora and 23 fauna species in WA are formally recognised as extinct, while more than 700 are listed as threatened. When their homes and food sources are consistently destroyed, it’s inevitable that their numbers would suffer too.
“Back from the Brink outlines the core environmental policies required to start seriously addressing the protection and restoration of nature, as opposed to fast-tracking the removal and destruction of critical habitat and areas of incredible natural value.
"That includes strengthening environmental laws such as the Biodiversity Conservation Act, improving how threatened species are assessed and listed, properly funding recovery plans, assessing the cumulative impacts of developments and stopping the approval of environmentally risky projects altogether.”
ENDS
Media contact: John Cooke – 0433 679 780