Threatened species listing process

The Threatened Species Conservation Act (TSC Act) provides for threatened species, populations, ecological communities and key threatening processes listing.

The TSC Act establishes an independent scientific committee which is responsible for determining which species, populations and ecological communities should to be listed as endangered, vulnerable or extinct under the TSC Act, and also to identify key threatening processes.

The listing process is used to

• add a species, population or ecological community to the list
• reclassify a species or ecological community from one threat category to another, or
• delist a species, population or ecological community

The process by which species, populations and ecological communities are listed as threatened is the foundation of the Act, which requires that listing decisions are

• made by an independent scientific body (ie the committee)
• scientifically robust and based on the best available scientific information
• completed within a suitable time period that allows for thorough assessment against appropriate criteria
• made on scientific grounds only

Making a nomination

Any person or organisation can nominate a species, population, ecological community or key threatening process for listing, delisting or changing its threat category under the TSC Act.

What criteria does the scientific committee consider when determining the status of a species?

The Threatened Species Conservation Regulation 2010 prescribes the criteria used by the committee to classify species, populations and ecological communities into one of three categories: critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable.

The criteria require certain factors be considered, such as population size, reduction in geographic distribution and habitat quality, sensitivity to human activities and stochastic events. They are adapted from the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000 and World Conservation Union (IUCN) criteria.

How can you comment on a listing proposal?

The scientific committee publishes notice of preliminary determinations in the Government Gazette, relevant regional and statewide newspapers and via OEH's website.

Any person or organisation can make a submission to the committee and provide additional information for it to consider before it makes a final determination. The public consultation period is generally for a period of 30 days.