Compliance Overview

Compliance Framework
Compliance Driver Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW)
Classification Level 4
Local area requirement, managed locally .
Associated Legislation None
Associated Standards None
Associated Codes None
Associated Information None
Return to Top Administrative Information
Administrative Body NSW Office of Environment & Heritage
Administrative Name
Administrative Address Physical Address
Head Office
Level 14, 59 -61 Goulburn Street
Sydney NSW
Australia, 2000
Mailing Address
P.O. Box A290
Sydney South NSW
Australia, 1232
Administrative Phone 131 555
02 9995 5000
Administrative Email info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Administrative Website http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/
Return to Top General Introduction
VC Compliance Delegate Jo Scanlan, Chief Operating Officer
Compliance Coordinator Bradley Nixon, Associate Director Operational Services
Business Units Impacted
  • Estate and Built Environment
  • Office of the Chief Operating Officer
Overview This Act provides for the conservation of threatened species, populations and ecological communities of animals and plants (although the Act does not generally apply to fish). The Act sets out a number of specific objects relating to the conservation of biological diversity and the promotion of ecologically sustainable development. In addition, the Act sets up a Scientific Committee, whose functions include:
- identifying and classifying (as endangered, critically endangered or vulnerable) the species, populations and ecological communities with which it is concerned, and
- identifying key threatening processes that may threaten the survival of those species, populations and ecological communities.

Identified species, populations, ecological communities and key threatening processes are listed in the Schedules to the Act. Provision is made for the preparation of recovery plans for listed threatened species, populations and ecological communities and threat abatement plans to manage key threatening processes.

The Act also provides for the declaration and mapping of habitats that are critical to the survival of those identified threatened species, populations and ecological communities that are classified as endangered (critical habitats).

Offences for breaches of this Act (for example, the harming of threatened species, populations or ecological communities (being animals); the picking of threatened species, populations and ecological communities (being plants); damaging critical habitat etc.) are contained in the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974.

Part 7AA of the Act establishes a system for biodiversity certification. Biodiversity certification involves an assessment of the biodiversity values of land so that areas that are of high conservation value and areas appropriate for development can be identified and remove the need for site-by-site threatened species assessment.

Part 7A of the Act establishes the Biodiversity Banking and Offsets Scheme. The Scheme enables:
- establishment of biodiversity banking sites;
- creation of biodiversity credits;
- trading of biodiversity credits; and
- use of credits to offset development otherwise impacting on biodiversity values.

Relevance for UNE - do we have identified threatened species?