The Australian federal environment minister, Murray Watt, has admitted that previous governments broke the law by failing to create mandatory recovery plans for native species on the brink of extinction, following a significant legal victory for one of Australia’s largest conservation organizations, the Wilderness Society. The organization had launched court proceedings in March to force the minister to develop recovery plans for species such as the greater glider and the ghost bat.
In a settlement reached on Friday, the government acknowledged that mandatory recovery plans for four species—including the greater glider, the ghost bat, the lungfish, and the sandhill dunnart—had not been made, and previous ministers had exceeded the required timeframe for creating and enforcing such plans.
The settlement also recognized that recovery plans for seven other threatened species, including baudin’s and carnaby’s black cockatoos, previously stated to have expired, would continue in force.
Samuel Szoke-Burke, the manager for biodiversity policy and campaigns at the Wilderness Society, hailed this as a victory for endangered wildlife across Australia, emphasizing that this case confirms that recovery plans are a legal requirement, not a suggestion. Recovery plans outline the necessary actions to help species recover from the verge of extinction.
Legal action was sparked by concerns over a backlog of incomplete recovery plans, with some species, like the greater glider, awaiting a legally required recovery plan since 2016. Years of reporting by Guardian Australia and findings by the Auditor-General in 2022 have criticized the inadequate pace of developing these plans, with only 2% of plans completed within their required timeframes since 2013.
The government attempts to reduce the backlog have included reassessing and removing some species from the list requiring recovery plans. However, the recent settlement could set a precedent for stricter enforcement of environmental laws to protect Australia’s unique biodiversity.
Legal experts and environmental advocates now urge the government to prioritize nature or face the possibility of further legal action and community protests. The win, achieved with the legal support from Environmental Justice Australia, marks a high point in efforts to enforce accountable conservation practices.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/sep/23/environment-minister-to-protect-native-species-greater-glider-glider-after-court-win-for-wilderness-society
