Audit: Australia's Govt Not Monitoring Most Threatened Species, Tracking Zero Endangered Habitats
The federal government cannot demonstrate it is protecting Australia’s endangered wildlife because it is not monitoring most species, habitats or threats and there is limited evidence conservation plans are implemented, a review by the auditor general has found.
In a report on the management of threatened species, tabled on Thursday, the Australian National Audit Office found the federal environment department had been partly effective in its administration of national environmental laws but not efficient. The audit found just 2% of recovery plans since 2013 had been drafted and finalised within the timeframes required under law, with the average time taken being 2,355 days (6.4 years).
Once a plan was in place, the audit found progress on the actions required to stop the decline of a species was not being measured or tracked by the department in a coordinated way.
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The report’s release comes days after the Morrison government announced there would be new measures in the budget to further streamline the process developments have to go through to receive their environmental approval. Environment groups have called the announcement a step towards an “industry free-for-all”, comments which the environment minister, Sussan Ley, has rejected.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/17/most-of-australias-threatened-species-not-monitored-by-government-audit-finds