Don’t Slay Our dragon!

 

Canberra’s very own native lizard, the Canberra Grassland Earless Dragon, is on the brink of extinction as the Canberra Airport begins destroying one of its three remaining patches of habitat to construct an unnecessary road.

With a promised review of this project by the outgoing federal Environment Minister underway and a new Federal Environment Minister incoming this May, we have one last chance to increase public pressure and stop this deadly and unnecessary project. 

Sign our petition now to add your voice to the call for an immediate end to the deadly and unnecessary construction of the Northern Airport Road and all further plans to do so.

Snap Rally: Don't Slay Our Dragon

Attend our snap rally at 12 pm on Tue 6th of May in Petrie Plaza where we will publicly call on the Airport and the newly elected government to halt construction of the deadly and unnecessary Northern-Airport Road.

Rally info here

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I’ve signed the petition, what next?  

Thank you for adding your voice to the campaign to save Canberra’s Grassland Earless Dragon!

This petition will help us put pressure on the Canberra Airport and incoming federal Environment Minister to halt construction of the Northern Airport Road and revoke its environmental approval. But the fight to save our Dragon has only just begun!

If you’re interested in volunteering on this campaign, then contact our Campaigner, Aoibhinn Crimmins, on aoibhinn.crimmins@conservationcouncil.org.au about volunteering opportunities. If you indicated you were interested in volunteering in your petition response then Aoibhinn will get in touch with you!

As always, donations are vital to the Conservation Council’s ability to deliver campaigns like this, and are able to be made here.

Lastly, keep an eye on this page or stay in-touch via our fortnightly newsletter or our Instagram @conservationact or Facebook @Conservation Council ACT Region for updates on the campaign and ways you can get involved.

How did we get here?

  • 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 small 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.
      • However, with the construction of the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport in Western Sydney, Canberra Aiport is no longer up for consideration as a hub for economic activity.
  • 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 more direct route of the Northern Road straight through the 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 species including one unique to Canberra. 
  • In April 2023, then Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek agreed to review the Northern Road’s approval however no decision was reached before the government went into caretaker mode in March 2025. 
  • In early February 2025, CAG began construction of the deadly and unnecessary direct route of its Northern Road. 
  • In late February 2025, CAG agreed to halt construction on 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.

 

  • In April 2025, CAG once again began construction of the final 800m of the road that would destroy the most critical habitat for the Canberra Dragon.

Figure 1: the new, more direct route of the Northern Road, given the final go-ahead by a delegate of former Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley in May 2020.  This modified route directly intersects the Canberra Dragon’s habitat.