The WA Environment Minister Bill Marmion has announced funding of $3 million as part of the recent $15.5million allocation from the State’s Natural Resource Management (NRM) program to support conservation measures to protect WA’s biodiversity.


“About $1.6million has been provided for critically endangered flora recovery with 143 species currently under threat of extinction,” Mr Marmion said.


“Many of these plants belong to native Western Australian plant groups such as banksias, wattles, eucalypts, orchids and trigger plants and unless conservation action is taken are estimated to have a 50 per cent probability of extinction in the next 10 years.


“This NRM funding will support work already under way to reduce the probability of extinction of 68 critically endangered flora species within three years and includes measures to establish new populations and to control invasive weeds, feral animals and disease.”


The Minister said NRM funding was also granted for recovery programs for three of the State’s most endangered native fauna species - the dibbler, western swamp tortoise and western ground parrot.


“Funding of $500,000 has been provided for conservation of the rare and endangered western swamp tortoise. Funding will be used for population monitoring, habitat protection and restoration, community education and controlling impacts from threats such as foxes,” he said.


“Conservation of the once presumed extinct dibbler has received a boost of $350,000 for the continuation of the species recovery program, particularly the eradication of the introduced house mouse on Boullanger and Whitlock islands off Jurien Bay.


“A further $600,000 was allocated to conserve one of the State’s rarest birds, the western ground parrot. This will support current feral cat bait trials and the monitoring and assessment of feral cat impact on western ground parrot habitat.”