Friends of Grasslands (FOG) and Conservation Council ACT Region (the Council) are today raising the alarm on the Capital Airport Group’s (CAG) imminent plans to “move” Natural Temperate Grassland that is the final remaining quality habitat for the critically endangered Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon along 800 m of the planned northern airport road between Fairbairn and Majura Road Pialligo.
Matt Whitting, Vice President of Friends of Grasslands said:
“We understand a review of Canberra Airport’s approval to construct and operate this unnecessary road is still underway.
“The only way to protect the habitat of Canberra Dragons is to prevent further damage. Canberra Airport now has a second way in and out of Fairbairn, they do not need to continue construction or move this grassland.”
“If the Federal Environment Minister has decided he will not step in and prevent it, it should be made clear that there is no evidence that moving the grassland will work.”
Vice President of the Conservation Council ACT Region Danny Jowers said:
“Digging up and ‘moving’ a grassland does not pass the pub test. This is an embarrassing and shameful greenwashing attempt by Capital Airport Group. They are knowingly destroying the final remaining habitat of the critically endangered Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon.”
“The destruction of this remaining habitat will drive the extinction of the Canberra Dragon in the wild. This is a complete waste of recently announced taxpayer-funded efforts to captively breed the species. There is absolutely no point captively breeding individual Canberra Dragons if there is no habitat for them to return to. Why suggest moving a grassland that is vital habitat when an unbuilt road is the obvious thing to move?”
“We call on the Capital Airport Group to end construction of its unnecessary north airport road and call on the Federal Environment Minister, Murray Watt, to revoke approval for this road under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.”
Contacts:
Matt Whitting, E: matt.whitting@outlook.com
Danny Jowers, E: dannyjowers@gmail.com
Background – the Canberra Dragon
The Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon (Tympanocryptis lineata) was only identified as a separate species in 2022, when taxonomists split the former (threatened) Grassland Earless Dragon into four species. The Canberra Dragon species is now only found on 40 hectares in three small locations in the eastern Australian Capital Territory and is listed as critically endangered under ACT and federal legislation. ACT Government ecologists have described the Canberra Dragon as being the “most endangered reptile species in Australia”.
Dragons are the ‘goldilocks’ indicator species for healthy grasslands as they need enough space between tussocks to hunt insects but also enough grass to hide from predators. This ‘just right’ grass cover is the ideal habitat for a number of endangered animal and wildflower species on natural grasslands.
Background – the Northern Road
In 2009, the Canberra Airport Group (CAG) requested approval for the construction of its “Northern Road” which at the time made use of Defence’s land to circumnavigate the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon’s habitat patch, as advised by the Grassland Earless Dragon National Recovery Team.
CAG has since argued that construction of the Northern Road is required as an evacuation route, especially for “VIP” passengers like the PM and foreign officials, and to enable increased economic activity at the Airport. However, there is already a dirt road evacuation route where the Northern Road would be constructed and with the construction of the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport in Western Sydney, Canberra Airport is no longer up for consideration as a new economic hub for the region.
CAG’s Northern Road request was approved by a delegate of the former Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett in 2009 on the condition that proof be provided to the Department that the road’s construction and operation would not increase the risk of extinction for the Canberra Dragon population.
In January 2020, a fire caught on the southeast corner of the Airport, renewing claims by CAG that the Northern Road needed to be “sorted out” for fire safety. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison then stepped in.
In May 2020, a new and more direct route of the Northern Road straight through the Canberra Dragon’s remaining patch of habitat (fig. 1) and thereby requiring less land from Defence was given the final go-ahead by a delegate of former Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley.
Concerningly, no scientific proof was provided that the road’s construction and operation would not increase the risk of extinction for the Canberra Dragon habitat as required by the original 2009 approval.
In September 2022, the Friends of Grasslands community group requested that the road’s approval be revoked by the then Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek based upon new evidence that the Grassland Earless Dragon actually consisted of four separate and thus even more critically endangered species, including one unique to Canberra.
In April 2023, then Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek agreed to review the northern road’s approval. On 1 May 2023, Minister Plibersek’s Office cleared a media release (attributable to the Department) stating “The Minister has sent CAG back to the drawing board” while Canberra Airport Group identify options to avoid, mitigate, or satisfactorily compensate for impacts on Canberra’s Dragon from the northern road. A decision on this review is still to be announced, as are CAGs plans to avoid impacts to the Canberra Dragon.
In early February 2025, CAG began construction of the deadly and unnecessary direct route of its northern road despite the project being still under review.
In late February 2025, CAG confirmed it was still holding off constructing the final 800m of the road that would destroy the most critical habitat for the Canberra Dragon and work on a “nature-positive plan” for the Road as a result of public pressure. No such plan has been released and works on either side of the critical 800m of habitat have continued.
In May 2025, CAG said it had received approval from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water to “move” the grassland from the northern road construction site. By June 19 2025, the grassland in that sensitive 800 m of the construction site had been marked out with flags. Clearly, the ‘moving’ of the grassland is imminent.