Libs pledge threatened species commissioner

Original story at PSnews

The Coalition has promised to appoint a threatened species commissioner if it wins the election.

Opposition's environment spokesman, Greg Hunt said the new role would ensure an effective strategy to save endangered Australian species.

"This will be a position within the department which will have responsibility for three things – the development of threatened species plans, the implementation of those plans and the public reporting of progress," he said.

New legislation 'not required'

Mr Hunt said he would consult with other groups on exactly how the role would be framed, but said that it would require no new legislation or funding.

"If there's real focus on priority areas and money is applied properly, we can have great outcomes," he said.

Mr Hunt said he wanted to avoid a repeat of the fate suffered by the Christmas Island pipistrelle, a type of tiny bat.

The decline of the bat was closely monitored but a delay in action to save the species resulted in the final noises of the very last bat being recorded without intervention.

Australia has one of the worst animal extinction rates in the world, particularly in terms of mammals, with 27 mammal species dying out in the past 200 years.

Currently, nearly 400 species of mammals, frogs, reptiles, birds and fish are federally listed as vulnerable or endangered. When plants are included, this number rises to 1,500.

The Threatened Species Scientific Committee decides on species for inclusion onto the endangered list, bringing them under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, the main Federal legislative tool to protect wildlife. Anyone can nominate a species for inclusion.

Greens Senator Larissa Waters called Hunt's proposal a "thought bubble" and the Government said  plan would add unnecessary bureaucracy.