Nineteen more species have been added to Australia's critically endangered list, bringing the total newly listed threatened species to 34 and underscoring accelerating extinction risk.

Environment Minister Murray Watt's department is drafting reforms to strengthen protections, with the Australian Conservation Foundation urging rules robust enough to shield threatened species and their habitats.

Among the newly listed critically endangered species is the Mount Donna Buang wingless stonefly, a habitat-restricted insect that hatches in snow and occupies a very small area, making it highly vulnerable to climate change.

Separately, the Murray River and its floodplain systems have been added to the threatened species list as critically endangered, reflecting ongoing conservation concerns.

The Lemuroid ringtail possum, native to northern Queensland's Wet Tropics, is now listed as endangered due to rising temperatures and drying conditions that push it to higher elevations.

Tasmania’s glossy grass skink is among the new listings, having suffered substantial habitat loss from land clearing, agriculture, and urbanization.

The list also includes 25 plants, featuring several wattle species and a spider orchid, highlighting plant and animal vulnerability across the country.

The Australian Conservation Foundation identifies climate change as a central driver behind these listings and is pressing for tougher protections under national environment laws.

Minister Watt rejected a bid to upgrade the Maugean skate to critically endangered status, noting decisions followed advice from the Threatened Species Scientific Committee, the Tasmanian government, researchers, and public input, while acknowledging ongoing conservation needs in Macquarie Harbour.