Threatened Species Recovery

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Many animals and plants living on Eyre Peninsula and the Far West have been impacted upon by human activities such as vegetation clearance, the introduction of non-native species, and changes in water and fire patterns. Some of these animals and plants are in danger of extinction and are listed as threatened.

Winter Spider-orchid Arachnorchis brumalis, listed nationally as vulnerable to extinction

Carpet Python Morelia spilota, listed in South Australia as vulnerable to extinction

Nationally Threatened Species

Under Commonwealth law, the conservation status of animal and plant species is assessed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999. Once a species is listed as threatened under the Act, its recovery is promoted using Recovery Plans and Threat Abatement Plans. For more information see:

• Nationally Threatened Species Occuring in South Australia on the South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage Environment Reporting website
• Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Threatened Species web page

State Threatened Species

Under South Australian law, the conservation status of animal and plant species is assessed under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972. Species threatened at State and/or regional level may also be listed in regional biodiversity plans, such as the Biodiversity Plan for Eyre Peninsula (3.2Mb PDF). For more information about threatened species programs in South Australia see:

• South Australian Department for Environment and Heritage Threatened Species web page

Threatened Species in the West Region

The West Region is nationally important for its biodiversity and has a unique mixture of Australian plants and animals. The plants and animals within this area have been isolated by the sea and arid lands for sufficient time for species to evolve that are found nowhere else in the world (these are called endemic species). Many eastern Australian species are at their western limit of distribution and many western Australian species are at their eastern limit in this area (see East meets West NatureLinks). Sadly, a number of these and other plant and animal species on Eyre Peninsula and the Far West are threatened.

The Biodiversity Plan for Eyre Peninsula (3.2Mb PDF) identifies five Threatened Habitat Areas, namely the Cleve Hills, Far West, Koppio Hills, Sheoak Grassy Woodlands and the South West. These areas contain regionally threatened vegetation communities and a large number of species of high conservation significance (often significant at the national level).

A summary of the number of threatened species found on Eyre Peninsula is available from the Biodiversity Plan for Eyre Peninsula. See threatened species summary for Eyre Peninsula on the Environment Reporting website.

West Coast Mintbush Prostanthera calycina, listed nationally as vulnerable to extinction and found nowhere else in the world but on Eyre Peninsula		Sandhill Dunnart Sminthopsis psammophila, listed as nationally endangered (Photo: Peter Canty)

Recovery

In the West Region we are undertaking recovery programs to conserve threatened species. The five essential elements for successful threatened species conservation are:

• research and planning
• removing threats
• restoring habitat
• recovering species
• retaining gains.

Through the implementation of these recovery actions we are safeguarding threatened species in our region against extinction. See:

• threatened animals
• threatened plants.