Friends of Grasslands

supporting native grassy ecosystems

PO Box 440
Jamison Centre
Macquarie ACT 2614

email: advocacy@fog.org.au
web: www.fog.org.au

30th December 2024

Media statement: 2024 New Year’s resolution for Canberra’s flora and fauna

It’s time for the ACT and Federal governments to deliver by protecting key habitat in 2024.

Environmentalists have called on the ACT and Federal governments to make a New Year’s resolution to protect in 2024 five sites in reserves, covering 861 hectares of habitat for many of Canberra’s most endangered flora and fauna.

The habitat is on ACT and Federal government lands in Acton, Ainslie, Majura, North Lawson and Yarralumla.

President of Friends of Grasslands, Jamie Pittock, explained: “Both the ACT and Federal governments made some big promises in 2023 to conserve our most threatened wildlife: 2024 is the year to deliver by protecting key habitat.”

The five threatened sites are:

  1. North Lawson grasslands in Belconnen: 143 ha of which around 27 ha of habitat is proposed for development by the Federal Government’s Defence Housing Australia. This site includes habitat of the threatened Striped Legless Lizard (Delma impar) and Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana). A proposed Defence Housing Australia residential development would cut the habitat in half. Federal minister, Tanya Plibersek can reject the development under federal law and promote reservation of all of the high-quality habitat in Canberra Nature Park. See: https://conservationcouncil.org.au/save-lawson-north-grasslands/
  2. Canberra Airport – Majura Field Firing Range: (Majura Valley east) 496 ha. Canberra Airport Group has proposed to develop a road around the northern end of the airport that would bisect one of the last populations of the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis lineata) and impact the resident population of Golden Sun Moth. This area one of the largest remaining areas of grassland habitat in the ACT and is also habitat of the Striped Legless Lizard. Federal minister, Tanya Plibersek is reviewing the questionable approval of the proposed road under federal law. Rejecting this unnecessary road would be a tangible step to conserve the Dragon, one of the Federal Government’s 110 priority threatened species. This habitat needs to be conserved under a conservation agreement that supports existing uses while maintaining the biodiversity.
  3. Majura Valley west: 145 ha. This ACT and Federal critically endangered grassland and woodland needs protection from inappropriate development – including around the Campbell Park Offices – and addition to the adjoining Mt Ainslie Nature Reserve. Threatened species in this area include the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon, Striped Legless Lizard, Golden Sun Moth and Button Wrinklewort (a daisy; Rutidosis leptorhynchoides). The woodland is renowned as a hot spot for native birds. Years of ACT Government planning, with their Draft East Canberra District Strategy and mooted Eastern Broadacre strategic assessment, need to be completed in favour of conserving remnant high-conservation value habitats.
  4. Gurubung Dhaura (Stirling Park, Yarralumla) and Yarramundi Reach (Acton): 75 ha. These national lands managed by the National Capital Authority need to be rezoned for nature conservation under the National Capital Plan. The land is home to the endangered Button Wrinklewort and the Striped Legless Lizard. Despite being listed as a ‘national heritage’ site, the Federal Government has kept its development options open for a new Prime Minister’s residence at Gurubung Dhaura. While Albo and Toto deserve appropriate digs, it’s time to protect this prime habitat.
  5. Limestone Avenue grassland, Ainslie: 2 ha. A natural gem in North Canberra despite half the site being destroyed recently for a stalled housing development. This neglected ACT Government owned land needs to be added to the adjoining Mt Ainslie Nature Reserve. The site is home to the Golden Sun Moth.

Professor Pittock explained: “These 861 hectares of unprotected land are not a large area but their reservation is key to conserving many of the most threatened flora and fauna species in the ACT.

The Federal Government has the opportunity to deliver on its commitment to prevent extinctions of wildlife by better managing its own lands in Canberra.

The ACT Government has the opportunity in an election year to declare some new reserves for our most imperilled flora and fauna.”

The two habitats on these sites are Natural Temperate Grassland and Box-Gum Grassy Woodland. They are among the most endangered ecosystems in south eastern Australia due to their initial development for agriculture, and now for urban development around Canberra. Of their original extents, nationally, only around 1% of the native grasslands and 5% of the grassy woodlands remain in good condition. These ecosystems are characterised by their diversity of attractive wildflowers and many threatened species.

The threatened grassland animals around Canberra include an:

“In 2024 it’s time to give iconic Canberra wildlife a leg up,” Prof. Pittock concluded.

For interviews:

Prof. Jamie Pittock, President, FOG, m 0407 265 131

Ms. Sarah Sharp, Vice-President, FOG, m. 0402 576 412

Friends of Grasslands (FOG; http://fog.org.au/ ) is a community group dedicated to the conservation of natural temperate grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia. FOG advocates, educates and advises on matters to do with the conservation of grassy ecosystems, and carries out surveys and other on-ground work. FOG’s members include professional scientists, landowners, land managers and interested members of the public.