The pitch to entice international airlines to Canberra with the provision of a road to the airport's freight area would cause devastating habitat loss for the grassland earless dragon, conservationists say.

Rebecca Vassarotti said the grassland was the only remaining habitat for the endangered earless dragon in the Majura Valley and an important landscape for the critically endangered golden sun moth.

"I do not want to add this beautiful lizard to the list of species that we can't bring back," she said.

Proponents to the project claim the northern access road is critical for many large airlines, who supplement passenger flights through their freight operations.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the road will also provide alternate access to the airport and the emergency services headquarters in Fairbairn, a shortfall identified during the bushfires.

Mr Barr said the ACT airport was uniquely positioned to connect the region to expanding domestic and global markets.

"The ACT government is aware of environmental concerns and will explore options to protect endangered species that may be impacted by the construction of a northern access road," the chief minister said.

Ms Vassarotti will raise the issue with federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, in conjunction with reform of national environmental protection laws, which federal Labor have committed to responding to by the end of the year.

"I remain frustrated that Australian's national environmental laws continue to facilitate accelerated extinctions across Australia," she said. "Especially in instances like this when my hands are tied due to the fact that this lies on federal land."

The University of Canberra has a captive colony of the earless dragons, part of an ongoing breeding program designed to prevent the unique species from disappearing altogether.

Adjunct Associate Professor Will Osborne said, except for a few scattered sites in the Majura and Jerrabomberra valleys, including small populations near Queanbeyan, the species occurs nowhere else in the world.

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Associate Professor Osborne said the earless dragon was listed as endangered and the ACT government has prescribed that there be no further loss of habitat for this species.

A case has been submitted for the earless dragon to be upgraded to the critically endangered list nationally.

Associate Professor Osborne said about 600 metres of potential habitat would be destroyed through the construction of the northern access road, resulting in the loss of at least one hectare of suitable habitat for the species.

He said a two-lane road would likely prevent earless dragons from moving between native grasslands on the airport and within the Defence field training area at Majura.

"Should any individuals attempt to cross the road they are very likely to be run over by vehicles using the road," he said.

Associate Professor Osborne said the indirect effects of the proposed road included increased incursions of introduced predators like cats and foxes and native predators like birds and snakes, as they thrive in environments where changes in cover, shelter sites and perch sites have occurred.

"The proposed road will completely isolate the population at the airport from the more extensive Majura Field Training Range population," he said. "This is very likely to lead to the loss of the airport population."

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