1. Home
  2. Projects
  3. Threatened and migratory species and threatened ecological communities

Project start date: 01/07/2021
Project end date: 30/06/2027
NESP funding: $550,000 (GST-exclusive)

Australia is home to more than 1,900 species and ecological communities that are listed as threatened (Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). This number will increase significantly during the life of this second phase of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP), due to climate change and the 2019–20 bushfires.

In addition, there are more than 150 species – only some of which are listed as threatened – that are listed as migratory under the EPBC Act in response to Australia’s responsibilities under the global Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn Convention) and several bilateral agreements. All these listed entities are deemed by the Australian Government to be matters of national environmental significance.

The Resilient Landscapes Hub hosts the cross-cutting ‘Threatened and migratory species and threatened ecological communities’ initiative to support policy development, program management and regulatory processes to protect Australia’s environmental assets in terrestrial, Ramsar and marine environments. This project will provide the research foundation for this initiative and will also identify projects that will be undertaken by all the hubs to address this cross-cutting initiative.

This project will synthesise and evaluate NESP research relevant to the initiative, helping to show how the program is strengthening the knowledge base needed to halt the loss of, and support the recovery of, Australia’s threatened and migratory species and threatened ecological communities.

The project will also assess how NESP research is contributing to targets and actions in the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032, which maps a pathway to protect, manage and restore Australia’s threatened species and important natural places.

A report from this project, Improving outcomes for threatened species and ecological communities considered by the Commonwealth approval process, draws on suggestions from Environmental Approvals Division officers to help improve outcomes for threatened species and ecological communities considered through Commonwealth approval processes.

Download report: Commonwealth approval process and threatened species

This synthesis will help government, researchers, NGOs and conservation practitioners better understand how NESP research is informing conservation planning, policy and practical action for threatened and migratory species and threatened ecological communities.

Key research areas

This project will focus on:

  • bringing together NESP 2 research relevant to threatened and migratory species and threatened ecological communities
  • identifying shared themes, priorities and knowledge gaps across projects
  • exploring key topics through case studies and research-user discussions
  • assessing how NESP 2 research is supporting the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032
  • strengthening the evidence base available to support policy, planning and conservation action.

Pathway to impact

This project will support better conservation outcomes by:

  • highlighting how research is addressing key knowledge gaps in the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032
  • improving understanding of how national priorities can guide applied research
  • providing evidence to support policy, planning and regulatory decision-making
  • helping government, NGOs, land managers and other research users apply NESP research in conservation practice.
  • This project will provide the research foundation for the ‘Threatened and Migratory Species and Threatened Ecological Communities’ mission, which will cut across the four NESP Hubs. Photo: Melissa Bruton.
  • The golden sun moth is a threatened invertebrate that can trigger the EPBC Act. Photo Jess Barraclough.
  • The Macquarie Perch is a schooling riverine species that can trigger the EPBC Act. Photo BenjaminT444, Wikipedia.
  • The Swift Parrot is a bird species that can trigger the EPBC Act. Photo Gunjan Pandey/Wikimedia.
  • This research will also identify approaches to manage listed threatened entities, such as World Heritage and Ramsar wetlands. Photo: NESP Northern Hub.
  • Australia has international obligations to maintain habitat for threatened and migratory species. Photo NESP Northern Hub.

Related Projects

Related News

BACK TO TOP

Login