12 Feb 2015

FUNDING TO SAVE THREATENED SPECIES

WWF-Australia has welcomed Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt’s announcement of $743,000 for new projects to protect plants and animals at risk of extinction.

“We’re in a race against time to save these species so new funding is always welcome,” said WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O’Gorman.

“Once they are gone they are gone forever. Every species is precious and it’s WWF’s sincere hope they can all be brought back from the brink."

"Funding for Australia's rarest bird, the western ground parrot, and to re-introduce the eastern bettong to the Australian mainland is especially noteworthy", he said.

The new funding will benefit the southern Corroboree frog, eastern barred-bandicoot, Mallee emu-wren, western quoll, grey nurse shark, mahogany glider and southern cassowary, spotted handfish, western ground parrot, southern bent-wing bat, Temperate saltmarsh ecological community, and the Kangaroo Island narrow leaved Mallee woodland. 

WWF-Australia Media Contact:

Mark Symons, Senior Media Officer, +61 (0)400 985 571