The Director
Species Listing, Information and Policy Section
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
species.consultation@dcceew.gov.au

cc. NSW Threatened Species Scientific Committee
scientific.committee@environment.nsw.gov.au

 

Dear Director,

Re. comment on listing assessment and conservation advice for Perunga Grasshopper

Friends of Grasslands (FOG) is a community group dedicated to the conservation of grassy ecosystems in south-eastern Australia - natural temperate grasslands and grassy woodlands. FOG advocates, educates and advises on matters to do with the conservation of these ecosystems, and carries out surveys and on-ground work. FOG is based in Canberra and its members include professional scientists, landowners, land managers and interested members of the public.

Our understanding

The draft (combined listing and) Conservation Advice explains the Threatened Species Scientific Committee found the listing of Perunga Grasshopper, Perunga ochracea (Perunga), in the ‘Endangered’ threat category was appropriate following a widespread reduction in the species’ geographic distribution. The number of locations in which populations occur is restricted, and continuing decline is observed and inferred or projected in the species’ area of occupancy, habitat quality, and number of mature individuals. Most of the species’ habitat has been cleared and what little remains is highly fragmented and close to urban areas.^[1]

Of concern is the loss and degradation of Perunga habitat is ongoing and forecast to continue. Factors contributing to the decline in the number of mature individuals include weeds, inappropriate fire regimes, climate change, drought and predation and habitat degradation by non-native animals.^[2]

Our comment

FOG strongly supports the listing of the Perunga in the threat category ‘Endangered’ under national, ACT and NSW environment protection legislation. We see no evidence NSW has committed to list Perunga as threatened, and we urge NSW to take this step. To our knowledge there have been no surveys for Perunga in NSW comparable with the studies undertaken in the ACT. If NSW needs to conduct further surveys to justify a listing in that jurisdiction, then FOG call for those surveys to be conducted.

Perunga is a highly restricted species, limited to threatened habitat and only ever recorded in very low numbers. While those numbers may not be declining further (we note this is something of an unknown), the species faces multiple threats to its habitat from climate change, inappropriate fire regimes, urban expansion, the invasion of exotic grasses and perennial forbs, and disturbance including by predation by feral animals such as pigs, and over grazing by stock and native herbivores. 

In these respects, the draft Conservation Advice is well written and accurate. It covers all the major threats. Our comments below are largely minor matters of detail. 

In addition to mice, cats and foxes, FOG consider it is important to learn if exotic birds such as Indian Mynas and Starlings pose a threat to Perunga. Both these species are often seen feeding on ground insects within known Perunga habitat. It would be advantageous to research and quote any available research findings on the gut contents of these invasive species in native grassland or comparable habitats.

Funding is needed for the proposals related to information gathering and priority research.

Detailed comments

Re: Conservation and management priorities (p. 12) 

The following dot point should be added under the section ‘Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation’:

• Prohibit actions within known habitat patches that reduce the size of, or fragment the habitat patch.  

 Re: Stakeholder engagement/community engagement (pp. 13-14)

The stakeholder section should refer to and have an action items which relate to volunteers, and to which volunteers can relate, as volunteers are in effect the main land manager of several of the known habitat areas. We suggest the following points: 

• Determine priorities and share information on the species and its habitat with local experts, specialist researchers, First Nations peoples, local land managers, volunteers and landholders.  

• Liaise with landholders and volunteers to provide information on the species and its habitat requirements. Where research identifies potential habitat for the species, encourage the reporting of sightings.  

• Ensure land managers and volunteers are aware of the species’ occurrence and can implement measures needed to protect against key and potential threats.

Yours sincerely,

 

SIGNED

 

Professor Jamie Pittock

President, Friends of Grasslands

13 August 2026

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References

[1] DCCEEW (2026), DRAFT – Conservation Advice for Perunga ochracea – Perunga grasshopper, p. 2

[2] Ibid