Environment Minister Peter Garrett, in announcing the new listings, said activities and projects that could impact significantly on the threatened species and ecological communities would require federal approval before proceeding. The leatherback turtle, previously classified as vulnerable, is now considered to be an endangered species.

"The uplisting is mainly due to the ongoing threats the turtle faces from unsustainable harvesting of egg and meat and pressures from commercial fishing outside Australian waters," Mr Garrett said in a statement. Leatherback adults average around 1.6 metres in length and weigh from about 250 to 700 kilograms. They are found in tropical and temperate waters around Australia off the south Queensland and NSW coasts and off Western Australia's coast, south of Geraldton.

The Government is presently reviewing the recovery plan for marine turtles in Australia. "Where appropriate, the revised plan would include more stringent measures to reflect the changes to the turtles' conservation status," Mr Garrett said.

Five of the critically endangered snails species are located on Norfolk Island, the other four are on Lord Howe Island. The habitat of the bornemisszas stag beetle, threatened by logging in Tasmania's north-east, is already listed under state protection legislation. The Australian Greens last year called on Mr Garrett to intervene to protect the beetle's habitat from logging.

The ecological community, alpine sphagnum bogs and associated fens, have been added to the protection list. Bogs are found in permanently wet areas, such as along streams, valley edges and valley floors.

"This ecological community provides essential habitat for several species of nationally-threatened plants and animals, in particular the southern corroboree frog and the baw baw frog which breed in the Sphagnum moss," Mr Garrett said. The bogs in the mainland states were also an important water source to the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers. "With warmer temperatures and changing climatic conditions increasing the pressure on water availability, ecological communities such as this must be protected."

New listings to Australia's threatened species and ecological communities. Critically endangered species:

Five Norfolk Island snail species Four Lord Howe Island snail species Bornemisszas stag beetle (Tasmanian insect)

Bankstown Airport hibbertia (NSW shrub) Kangaloon sun orchid (NSW orchid)

Dark-tipped sun orchid (South Australian orchid) Ghost spider-orchid (South Australian orchid) Avenue cassinia (South Australian shrub)

Cooneana olive (Queensland shrub) Mount Berryman phebalium (a Queensland shrub)

Reedia (Western Australian sedge grass) Endangered Leatherback turtle (uplisted from vulnerable)

Critically endangered ecological communities Gippsland red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis subsp. mediana) grassy woodland and associated native grassland

Natural grasslands on basalt and fine-textured alluvial plains of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland Endangered Alpine sphagnum bogs and associated fens

Natural grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the northern Fitzroy basin Weeping myall woodland

The conservation advice for all listings can be found on the federal Department of Environment's website at http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/index.html AAP