Threatened species

Kempsey Shire has an abundance of unique Australian animal and plant species that are a valuable part of the region’s biodiversity. However, a number of these species are threatened with extinction or belong to endangered ecological communities.

What are threatened species?

In New South Wales, threatened plant and animal species are species listed as ‘critically endangered’, ‘endangered’ or ‘vulnerable’ under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 or the Fisheries Management Act 1994. 

A variety of threats affect these species and contribute to their risk of extinction, including clearing of habitat, pollution, over-harvesting, introduced species and natural disasters such as bushfires.

What we are doing

Kempsey Shire Council works with other government agencies and the community to reduce the threats affecting these species and improve or increase their habitats where possible.

Council also has a Biodiversity Strategy(PDF, 6MB) which identifies the biodiversity values found in Kempsey Shire, describes key threats, and outlines Council's priorities and actions to protect these values. To learn more about this strategy and how it is being implemented, go to our Biodiversity page.

Threatened animals

Threatened animals in the region include:

• Koala
• Brush-Tailed Rock Wallaby
• Long-Nosed Potoroo
• Yellow-Bellied Glider
• Loggerhead Turtle
• Powerful Owl
• Beach-Stone Curlew
• Regent Honeyeater
• Stuttering Frog
• Green and Golden Bell Frog
• Giant Dragonfly.

Threatened plants

Threatened plants in the region include:

• White-Flowered Wax Plant
• Guthrie’s Grevillea
• Native Guava
• Dwarf Heath Casuarina
• Spider Orchid
• Lesser Creeping Fern
• Slender Marsdenia
• Craven Grey Box
• Scrub Turpentine.

Endangered ecological communities

Endangered ecological communities in the region are as follows:

• Coastal Saltmarsh
• Freshwater Wetlands on Coastal Floodplains
• Littoral Rainforest
• Lowland Rainforest
• Lowland Rainforest on Floodplain
• Montane Peatlands and Swamps
• Subtropical Coastal Floodplain Forest
• Swamp Oak Floodplain Forest
• Swamp Sclerophyll Forest on Coastal Floodplains
• Themeda Grassland on Seacliffs and Coastal Headlands.

For a complete list of threatened animals and plants, see Council's Biodiversity Strategy 2022(PDF, 6MB)

For more information on NSW threatened species, visit the Office of Environment and Heritage’s website.

How you can help

There are many ways you can help protect our local wildlife, habitats and plant species.