Australia listed a small wallaby and the gray snake among 15 new threatened species on Tuesday as it embarked on a zero-extinction plan for its unique wildlife.

Many of Australia’s species are clinging to existence, their habitats shrinking from human activities and extreme events like the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, wildlife groups say.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government announced a new 10-year program to try to halt the slide towards extinction of 110 “priority species” and protect 20 “priority sites” from further deterioration.

It aims to prevent any repeat extinctions of plants and animals while preserving at least 30 per cent of Australia’s landmass.

Wildlife groups largely attribute Australia’s poor record in protecting its unique species to habitat destruction, which is being accelerated by global warming and the resulting extreme weather conditions.

The Black Summer fires burned through 5.8 million hectares in eastern Australia, killing or displacing an estimated 1-3 billion animals.

“The Black Summer bushfires in particular are having a devastating impact on many species. We are determined to give wildlife a better chance,” said Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek.

“The listing of species as threatened in national environmental legislation is a critical step in protecting the species and habitats that urgently need help.”

Australia’s attempts to protect its wildlife have so far not worked, the minister added.

“Australia is the world capital of mammalian extinction,” she said.

Among the 15 plants and animals listed as threatened are the endangered small Parma wallaby, which is threatened by bushfires and predators, the endangered, mildly venomous Queensland gray snake, and the endangered small wingless matchstick locust, which is sensitive to drought and frequent bushfires reacted.

Wildlife groups welcomed the government’s goal of preventing new plants or animals from becoming extinct.

The goal “is ambitious but essential if future generations of Australians are to see animals like koalas, mountain pygmy possums, tall swifts and gang-gang cockatoos,” said Basha Stasak, director of the Australian Conservation Foundation’s wildlife programme.

“Stopping the destruction of wildlife habitat is key to achieving this goal.”

Stasak called on the government to strengthen national environmental laws as it failed to protect animals, plants and ecosystems.

Scientists have estimated the cost of addressing Australia’s “extinction crisis” at A$1.69 billion (US$1 billion) a year, Stasak said.

A five-year State of the Environment report released in July painted a picture of the devastation affecting wildlife on land and at sea.

It cited the clearing of millions of hectares of primary forest and the mass bleaching of coral on the Great Barrier Reef caused by ocean heatwaves.

WWF-Australia called for investment in recovery plans for all threatened species.

“Australia’s wildlife and wild places are on a dangerous downward spiral,” said Rachel Lowry, WWF-Australia Chief Conservation Officer.

She welcomed Australia’s target of zero new species extinctions, saying it is in line with the goals of New Zealand and European Union member countries.

Lowry urged the government to establish and fund a recovery plan for Australia’s more than 1,900 threatened species.

“This plan picks 110 winners,” she said.

“It’s unclear how it will help our other ‘non-priority’ threatened species, such as our critically endangered tall ship.”

Plibersek told journalists that protecting 110 prioritized species would create a “halo effect” on interdependent species in the same habitat.

Protecting 20 sites could create “little arks of Noah, places where we can be sure to return to healthy populations of plants and animals,” she said.