The endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby has moved one step closer to reintroduction into the wild the ACT, with the creation of a new plan to protect the species.

Once common in south-east Australia, the brush-tailed rock wallaby is now mostly found only in the north-eastern part of NSW.

There is currently a captive breeding colony at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

But the last recorded sighting in the wild in the ACT was more than 50 years ago, at Tidbinbilla in 1959.

A new action plan has been launched to help protect the species by outlining strategies for their identification, survival and eventual re-introduction.

Environment Simon Corbell said large-scale hunting for the fur trade until 1927 decimated the wallaby population so much that remaining colonies became vulnerable to foxes, hydatid disease and bushfire.

"We hope the ACT will eventually reintroduce the species into suitable habitat in the ACT in the longer term, but a significant research effort is required before that can be justified," he said.

The breeding colony at Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve breeds animals for reintroduction in Victoria and NSW.

The colony has been used by the ACT Government to conduct physiological, behavioural and reproductive research, and to gain a better understanding of its conservation needs.

Social interactions between animals very important: ecologist

Environment Minister Simon Corbell and ecologist Tony Corrigan explained the next steps towards reintroduction of the bush-tailed rock wallaby in the ACT today. ( ABC News: Ian Cutmore )

ACT Government ecologist Tony Corrigan has been working with brush-tailed rock wallabies since 1995.

He said a huge amount of research had been conducted over the last 10 years, but more was required before the species could be reintroduced into the ACT.

"We've done a lot of work on trying to understand the impact of things like foxes and cats on the species," he said.

"We've done some re-introductions and looked at how that's gone, so some trials in Victoria especially, to see how these animals behave when they're reintroduced and what the potential issues might be."

Mr Corrigan said they were a difficult species to work with as they were quite fragile creatures.

"But what we've found is that the social interactions between the animals are very important... family groups, once they're established and comfortable in the home range, actually avoid predators quite well," he said.

Mr Corrigan said further research on predator and landscape preparation was required.

"But also getting the right number of animals, making sure we've got the right genetic mix, making sure we're going to give them the maximum opportunity to thrive," he said.

The hope was to reintroduce the species in the ACT within the next decade, Mr Corrigan said.

"I'd love to see them [reintroduced in the ACT]... It would be a fantastic thing. It's a species I personally have a lot of pathos for," he said.

Mr Corbell said the new action plan would guide further recovery actions including continuing the captive breeding program, which played a pivotal role in the wallaby's conservation.

The plan is a continuation of the ACT Government's first strategy for the species' preservation from 1999.

"We learned so much from the first action plan for the brush-tailed rock wallaby, that we needed to update the information and develop new strategies for its continued protection with this new plan," Mr Corbell said.