Amendments to wildlife species classifications

Amendments to wildlife species classificationsThe Department of Environment and Heritage Protection will reclassify 46 animal and 84 plant species to a more threatened status under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.As previously reported, the koala will be reclassified as vulnerable across Queensland as part of these amendments. Currently, the Queensland Government lists koalas as vulnerable in South East Queensland. By broadening the listing it now aligns with the Commonwealth Government’s classification of the Koala in Queensland.The changes are subject to Governor in Council approval that is anticipated to occur in the next fortnight. Following the approval, the Department’s trigger map, Environmental Offsets policy, and Environmental Regulation 2014 will be updated to reflect the amendments. Further information will be available on the Department’s website at the following locations:http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/category-changes.htmlhttp://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/licences-permits/plants-animals/protected-plants/map-request.phpFollowing a recent meeting with the Property Council, the Department has released a set of questions and answers on this topic. Click on the PDF link below to access the document.