Gregory Andrews has been named as the new commissioner, fulfilling a pledge made by the Coalition at the election.
Andrews, a public servant and former diplomat, will work in a non-statutory, advisory role to oversee the “development, implementation and reporting of threatened species recovery programs”.
While Andrews will have no power to intervene in development decisions, such as mining or logging, which may affect the habitat of native species, he will work with scientists on strategies to reverse the precipitous decline of Australia’s native species.
Australia has one of the worst mammal extinction rates in the world, with an estimated 75 million native animals, such as birds and small marsupials, estimated to die at the claws and teeth of feral cats every day.
These cats, descended from domesticated cats, have become a major killer of animals across Australia, especially in areas of Queensland and the Northern Territory.
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www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/02/threatened-species-commissioner-to-c...