The analysis contained in an Australian Conservation Foundation report to be released on Wednesday shows the habitat supported species including the koala, Regent honeyeater, Green and Golden Bell Frog, and the Newcastle Doubletail.

The extinction crisis in Australia's cities and towns report shows about 25 per cent of Australia's threatened plants and 46 per cent of threatened animals are found in cities and towns, but habitat destruction for urban sprawl is fast-tracking the extinction rate. Thirty-three endangered species presently live in the Hunter including five critically endangered species, eight endangered species and 20 vulnerable species.

"While national parks and protected areas are essential for safeguarding biodiversity, our cities and towns also provide critical habitat for threatened species," Australian Conservation Foundation Nature Campaigner Jess Abrahams said.

"Around 25 per cent of Australia's nationally-listed threatened plants and 46 per cent of threatened animals can be found in cities, towns and suburbs. While many of these species also have habitat outside cities and towns, for 39 threatened species, these urban areas are the last remaining places where they exist."

The report details the little-known prevalence of federally listed threatened plants and animals in the 99 Australian cities and towns with over 10,000 people - and the extent of forested habitat destruction in those areas under Australia's national environment laws.

In the first 17 years of operation of Australia's national environment law, at least 20,212 hectares of forested urban threatened species habitat was destroyed, an area the size of 11,400 ANZ Stadium football fields.

The species most affected were the red goshawk, grey-headed flying fox, the koala , the Australasian bittern and regent honeyeater.