Tasmanian devils, whale sharks and threatened forests in NSW and Victoria are among almost 200 species and ecosystems that will no longer require recovery plans but merely conservation advice, according to changes proposed by the federal environment department.

The proposal to ditch the need for recovery plans for the 185 at-risk species and ecological communities is just the first tranche, with more to follow, the department said.

Ecosystems in the first batch include Sydney’s Cumberland Plain shale woodlands and blue gum high forest, and the grassy eucalypt woodland on Victoria’s volcanic plain. The giant burrowing frog, Abbott’s booby and the dwarf mountain pine are among the species listed for advice.

Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the proposed changes were recommended by the independent Threatened Species Scientific Committee and are available for public consultation until November 2.

The committee’s chair, Helene Marsh, said the shift to relying on advice rather than developing specific plans was driven in part by the catastrophic 2019-20 bushfires. Recovery plans can take two to five years to develop.

“It’s a sign we have to be much more nimble and responsive in this era of climate change,” Professor Marsh said, adding the committee was open to recommending to Minister Ley to add recovery plans if the public made convincing cases about particular species.

“This is a quick fix ... The minister is under pressure because she is legally obligated to review the plans every 10 years.”

Professor James Watson, the University of Queensland

The move, though, drew criticism, including from the University of Queensland’s Professor of Conservation Science James Watson, who took part in a review of the federal threatened species policies a decade ago.

The environmental advice doesn’t have the same “legislative teeth” as recovery plans that typically also require habitat protections, Professor Watson said. They may be done by desktop analysis rather than more careful study.