The Conservation Council of WA (CCWA) has welcomed today’s WA State Budget allocation for Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities (TECs).  

CCWA Executive Director Matt Roberts said this was “an important step in the right direction to address the biodiversity crisis we’re in, but more is needed in coming years to keep pace with the threats to nature and bring WA’s environment back from the brink”. 

“Ambition on threatened species protection and recovery has been too low for too long,” Mr Roberts said. 

“In WA there are 450 plants and 250 animals listed as threatened, every year the number of species on the critically endangered list continues to rise as the state keeps approving clearing of critical habitat - the environment is struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.  

“It's encouraging to see some ambition from the State Government on developing recovery plans for TECs. Currently there are no recovery plans for TECs despite a huge number of critically endangered and threatened communities in WA that represent unique ecosystems found nowhere else on earth. 

“In WA there are three TECs that have already collapsed; there are 46 critically endangered at risk of collapse; eight more that are endangered; 10 vulnerable; and 391 priority Threatened Ecological Communities, none of which have a recovery plan.  

“This is an important first step towards raising the ambition and capacity of the government to protect and restore our most threatened species and ecological communities. We look forward to increased funding over coming years alongside reforms that will protect critical habitat.“  

CCWA will be launching ‘Back from the Brink: a protection agenda for nature’ in June, a report which puts threatened species and habitat loss in the spotlight, with a road map towards preservation and restoration. Summary report available online here: https://www.ccwa.org.au/backfromthebrink_report 

The announcement and allocation are in line with ongoing calls from CCWA and partner organisations for increased funding and ambition on recovery plans for threatened species.  

Recommendation 11: Strengthen Recovery Plans for all threatened species  
To halt the decline of threatened species, ensure full funding and implementation of strong, enforceable Recovery Plans for all threatened species and ecological communities in WA, updated at least every five years, with legal powers to protect species from threatening processes as they emerge. 

The Conservation Council of WA, partner orgs and member groups have been advocating for increased resourcing for the protection and restoration of WAs environment including:  

• biodiversity funding consistent with halting and reversing biodiversity loss in WA  

• establishing and funding robust monitoring and compliance programs; 

• Prioritise and fully fund the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to conduct assessments and produce Strategic Advice 

• long-term funding to scale-up habitat restoration projects. 

• resources and establish funded Aboriginal committees and partnerships. 

• Guarantee funding and support for Aboriginal Ranger Programs for all crown lands: 

• state-wide permanent funding to the Aboriginal Ranger Program 

• increasing funding for DBCA to fulfill its monitoring, compliance and other regulatory functions; 

• ensure full funding and implementation of strong, enforceable Recovery Plans for all threatened species and ecological communities in WA, 

• Increase funding for the Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage and other departments involved in administration of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1972, to ensure application of the Act in a way that protects Aboriginal heritage and ensures the timely processing of heritage applications. 

• Fund and establish a legal requirement for the EPA to undertake State of the Environment (SoE) Reporting, mandated on a two-year cycle and enshrined in the EP Act. 

• establishing and funding robust monitoring and compliance programs; 

ENDS