THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
MEDIA RELEASE
Tuesday, 5 March 2024
New Recovery Plan to better protect Victoria’s animal emblem: the Leadbeater’s Possum
The critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum now has a new Recovery Plan to boost its long-term survival.
Found only in Victoria and located almost entirely in the cool misty mountain forests of the Central Highlands, populations of Leadbeater’s Possum have faced years of intense pressure from the threat of historical logging activities and severe bushfires.
Once feared extinct, the Leadbeater’s Possum relies on dense trees with hollows for shelter, for moving safely, and for feeding and raising their young.
The new Recovery Plan focuses on actions everyone can take to protect this precious species and its habitat, with a focus on reducing further loss of hollow-bearing trees, managing fires and restoring habitat.
This new plan is made in partnership with the Victorian Government, and in consultation with species experts, industry, conservation organisations, and First Nations people.
The Australian Government is also investing $360,000 to directly help the Leadbeater’s Possum. This includes the installation of 400 nesting boxes in the central highlands and translocation assessments of the possum’s historic range in North-East Victoria and East Gippsland.
The Leadbeater’s Possum is one of 110 species prioritised for recovery under the Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan.
Read the plan here: National recovery plan for Leadbeater’s possum (Gymnobelideus leadbeateri) - DCCEEW
Quotes attributable to the Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek:
“Sadly, historical timber harvesting in Victoria and bushfires have had a devastating impact on Leadbeater’s Possum habitat.
“This new Recovery Plan, made in partnership with the Victorian Government, will better protect the Leadbeater’s Possum and help it thrive into the future.
“Both Federal and Victorian Labor governments recognise how important this species is, not only to Victorians but to all Australians.
“I am committed to protecting our precious species and leaving nature better off for our kids and grandkids.”
Quotes attributable to Victorian Minister for the Environment, the Hon Steve Dimopoulos:
“The launch of the Leadbeater's Possum Recovery Plan is a testament to our collective dedication to ensuring the possum’s survival and the conservation of its natural heritage - marking a critical step towards protecting Victoria’s iconic possum species.
“Together with the Federal Government, we share in a commitment to protect the Leadbeater's Possum and the conservation of its precious environment - laying the foundation for a sustainable future for Victoria’s biodiversity more broadly.”
ENDS
