EPBC Act publications and resources
Most publications are only available online. Hardcopies of publications marked Order printed copy can be ordered online.
Latest releases
- Environmental Impact Assessment Client Service Charter - May 2013
- Strategic Assessments: Policy Statement for EPBC Act referrals - March 2013
- EPBC Act - Frequently asked questions - fact sheet
General
- Australian Government response to the Report of the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - 2011
- Advice on the presence of hybrids in listed ecological communities
- Australia's in situ recovery uranium mining best practice guide: groundwaters, residues and radiation protection - 2010
- Ecological communities: a way forward - 2004
- Genetic resources management in Commonwealth areas - 2005
- Australian Government response to the Report of the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - 2011
- Australian Government Response to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts Committee Report: Operations of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (First, Second and Final Reports) - 2011
- Australian Government Biodiversity Policy - Consultation draft
- EPBC Act environmental offsets policy - 2012
- Draft Framework of Standards for Accreditation - 2012
- Cost Recovery under the EPBC Act 1999 draft Cost Recovery Impact Statement (December 2012 - June 2017) - 2012
Fact sheets
- River Murray - Darling to sea: a nationally protected ecolocigal community - 2013
- Arnhem Plateau Sandstone Heath ecological community - fact sheet - 2012
- Broad leaf tea-tree woodlands and Landholders - fact sheet - 2012
- Bushfire management and national environment law - fact sheet - 2010
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act - fact sheet - 2010
- Farming and national environment law: EPBC Act - fact sheet - 2010
- Farming and nationally protected Coolibah - Black Box Woodlands - fact sheet - 2011
- Farming and nationally protected Grey Box woodlands and grasslands - fact sheet - 2010
- Farming and nationally protected grasslands and woodlands of the Victorian volcanic plain - fact sheet - 2009
- Farming and nationally protected lowland native grasslands of Tasmania - fact sheet - 2009
- Farming and nationally protected Natural Grasslands of the Murray Valley Plains - fact sheet - 2012
- Farming and nationally protected New England Peppermint (Eucalyptus nova-anglica) Grassy Woodlands - fact sheet - 2011
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protection: legislative changes - frequently asked questions - fact sheet - 2009
- How does national environmental law apply to the natural disasters clean-up? - fact sheet - 2011
- How does the listing of gamba grass and four other grasses as a key threatening process affect me? - 2010
- Landholders & Upland Basalt Eucalypt Forests - fact sheet - 2012
- List of overseas places of historic significance to Australia - fact sheet - 2007
- Listing threatened species, ecological communities and key threatening processes - fact sheet - 2007
- Lowland Rainforest and Landholders - fact sheet - 2012
- Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities: Natural Grasslands on Basalt and Fine-textured Alluvial Plains of Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland, and Natural Grasslands of the Queensland Central Highlands and the Northern Fitzroy Basin - 2012
- New detention regime for suspected unauthorised non-citizen offenders - fact sheet - 2007
- Northern Territory cattle production and national environment law - fact sheet - 2011
- Oil and gas industry and national environment law - fact sheet - 2010
- Protecting heritage places - fact sheet - 2007
- Protecting Australia's world heritage properties - fact sheet
- Recovery action for threatened species and ecological communities - fact sheet - 2007
- Rumours, myths and misconceptions... farming and national environment law - fact sheet - 2011
- Safeguarding the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park - fact sheet - 2009
Independent review
- The Australian Environment Act: Report of the Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - October 2009
- Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: discussion paper - 2008
- Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: interim report - 2009
- Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: summary of public submissions - 2009
Related publications
- Access to genetic resources publications
- Australian Antarctic Division publications
- Heritage publications
- Marine species
- Marine protected areas publications
- Migratory species
- Parks and reserves publications
- Threatened species and ecological communities publications
- Water (including wetlands) publications
- Wildlife trade and conservation publications
Agreements
- Bilateral agreements
- Conservation agreements
- Heads of agreement on Commonwealth and State roles and responsibilities for the Environment (COAG) - 1997
Compliance and enforcement
- Compliance and Enforcement Policy: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - 2012
- Compliance audits completed in 2013 - Summary of findings
- Compliance audits completed in 2012 - Summary of findings
- Compliance audits completed in 2011 - Summary of findings
- Compliance monitoring and auditing Fact sheet - 2011
- Compliance audits completed in 2010 - Summary of findings
- Compliance audits completed in 2009 - Summary of findings
- Compliance audits completed in 2008 - Summary of findings
- Compliance audits completed in 2007 - Summary of findings
- Burnett River Dam (Paradise Dam) - final compliance audit report - 2007
- Compliance audits completed in 2006 - Summary of findings
Databases
- Protected matters search tool - find protected matters in your area of interest
- Species Profile and Threats Database - information about species and ecological communities
- Australian Heritage Database
- Australian Wetlands Database
Environment assessments
- Environmental Impact Assessment Client Services Charter - 2013
- Strategic Assessments Prospectus - 2013
- A guide to undertaking strategic assessments - 2012
- Environment assessment process - flowchart - 2007
- Environment assessment process - fact sheet - 2007
- Local government and Australian environment law - fact sheet - 2009
- National environment law - project assessments basics - fact sheet - 2010
- Particular manner decisions - section 77A - 2007
- Prior authorisation and continuing use exemptions - sections 43A and 43B - 2009
- Strategic assessments frequently asked questions - 2010
- Strategic assessment under the EPBC Act - brochure - 2008
- Referral of proposed action form - 2009
Flowcharts
- Environment assessment process (referral, assessment/decision whether to approve) - flowchart - 2007
- Live import listing process
- Nomination process flowchart (process for listing threatened species, ecological communities and key threatening process under the EPBC Act)
- Steps in adopting a recovery plan
Guidance Notes and Manuals
- Environment Assessment Manual - Implementing Chapter 4, EPBC Act - May 2012
- Guidance Note 1 - Listings made after a section 75 'Controlled Action' decision: Section 158A of the EPBC Act - February 2012
- Guidance Note 2 - Expiry Dates for Approvals - February 2012
- Guidance Note 3 - Definition of 'action': Section 523, section 524, and section 524A of the EPBC Act - February 2012
- Guidance Note 4 - Reconsideration: Implementing the requirements of sections 78, 78A, 78B and 78C of the EPBC Act - April 2012
- Guidance Note 5 - 'Indirect consequences' of an action: Section 527E of the EPBC Act - April 2012
- Guidance Note 6 - Change of person proposing to take an action; Change of proponent; Transfer of approvals: subsection 78(5) and sections 145B and 156F of the EPBC Act - April 2012
- Guidance Note 7 - Definition of 'Environment' under section 528 of the EPBC Act - April 2012
- Guidance Note 8 - EPBC Act Delegations - April 2012
- Guidance Note 11 - Prior Authorisation and Continuing Use Exemptions: Sections 43A and 43B of the EPBC Act - May 2012
- Guidance Note 12 - Staged Developments - Split referrals: Section 74A of the EPBC Act - May 2012
Policy statements
- About EPBC Act policy statements
- 1.1 Significant impact guidelines - matters of national environmental significance - 2009
- 1.2 Significant impact guidelines - actions on, or impacting upon, Commonwealth land and actions by commonwealth agencies - 2006
- Interaction between offshore seismic exploration and whales - 2008
- Offshore aquaculture - 2006
- Wind farm industry - 2009
- Agricultural Industry – please refer to Farming fact sheets for guidance on agricultural practices which may need approval under national environmental law
- Marine bioregional plans - plans identify conservation values, pressures and priorities in the Commonwealth marine area of four marine regions
- Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa) Grassy Woodlands and Derived Native Grasslands of South-Eastern Australia - June 2012
- Broad leaf tea-tree woodlands and Landholders - June 2012
- Lowland Rainforest and Landholders - January 2012
- Nationally Threatened Ecological Communities of the Victorian Volcanic Plain: Natural Temperate Grassland & Grassy Eucalypt Woodland - September 2011
- Littoral rainforest and coastal vine thickets of eastern Australia - 2009
- Alpine sphagnum bogs and associated fens - September 2009 (order printed copy)
- Weeping Myall Woodlands - EPBC Act policy statement September 2009 (order printed copy)
- Lowland native grasslands of Tasmania - October 2009 (order printed copy)
- Gippsland Red Gum Grassy Woodland and Associated Native Grassland - 2010 (order printed copy)
- Cumberland Plain Shale Woodlands and Shale-Gravel Transition Forest - 2010 (order printed copy)
- White box - yellow box - Blakely's red gum grassy woodlands and derived native grasslands - 2006
- Peppermint box (Eucalyptus odorata) grassy woodland of South Australia and iron-grass natural temperate grassland of South Australia - 2007
- Interim koala referral advice for proponents - June 2012
- Wallum sedge frog, Litoria olongburensis - draft - September 2011
- Black-eyed susan, Tetratheca juncea - August 2011
- Striped legless lizard, Delma impar - August 2011
- Macquarie perch, Macquaria australasica - draft - July 2011
- Four threatened Tasmanian burrowing crayfish - draft - July 2011
- Three threatened Western Australian black cockatoos - October 2012
- Southern brown bandicoot (eastern), Isoodon obesulus obesulus - draft - May 2011
- Brigalow Belt reptiles - draft - May 2011
- Northern quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus - draft - March 2011
- Growling grass frog - 2010
- Endangered southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius johnsonii) Wet Tropics Population - March 2010
- Green and golden bell frog (Litoria aurea) - 2010
- Western ringtail possum in the southern Swan Coastal Plain, WA - 2009
- Spiny rice-flower (Pimelea spinescens subsp. spinescens) - 2009
- Golden sun moth - 2009
- Black-throated finch (southern) (Poephila cincta cincta) - 2009
- Significant impact guidelines for the vulnerable water mouse Xeromys myoides - draft - 2009
- Significant impact guidelines for 36 migratory shorebird species - draft - November 2009
- Spot-tailed quoll - draft - 2009
- Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) - 2006
- Grey-headed flying fox - 2003
- Tiger quoll - 2004
- Spectacled flying fox - 2003
- Oustanding universal value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area - draft referral guidelines - August 2013
- EPBC Act assessment and approval process policies - July 2013
- Interim Guidelines on the Outstanding Universal Value of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area - for Proponents of Actions - May 2013
- Strategic Assessments: Policy Statement for EPBC Act referrals - March 2013
- EPBC Act environmental offsets policy - October 2012
- Melbourne Urban Development - Policy Statement for Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) referrals - July 2012
- Magnetic Island, Queensland - 2010
- Survey Guidelines for Australia's Threatened Bats - 2010
- Survey Guidelines for Australia's Threatened Birds - 2010
- Survey Guidelines for Australia's Threatened Frogs - 2010
- Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened fish - 2011
- Survey guidelines for Australia's threatened mammals - 2011
- survey guidelines for Australia's threatened reptiles - 2011
Reports
- Annual reports: Operation of the EPBC Act
- Criteria for determining ESD relevance - 2003
- Generic ESD and environmental performance indicators for Commonwealth organisations - 2003
- Guidelines for Section 516A reporting – Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - 2010
- Operational review of the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (NSW), the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW), and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) - 2009
- Referral guidelines for three species of Western Australian black cockatoos - 2012
- Review of mitigation measures used to deal with the issues of habitat fragmentation - 2008
- State of the environment reporting publications
- Wind farm collision risk for birds - 2006