Overview
- An ACF audit reports 57,199 hectares of threatened-species habitat were approved under the EPBC Act in 2025, the highest since 2010 and double 2024.
- Western Australia accounted for 34,752 hectares—over 60% of the total—with losses concentrated in the Pilbara.
- Mining drove nearly 70% of approved loss, including a 5,035-hectare expansion at Rio Tinto’s West Angelas iron ore mine.
- The northern quoll had 7,643 hectares approved for clearing, while 6,198 hectares of likely night parrot habitat were approved as the species was uplisted to critically endangered.
- Late‑2025 reforms establish standardized assessment criteria and a national EPA, with effectiveness hinging on upcoming standards and enforcement as some companies redesign works and pause activities in response to surveys.