The reserve protects a remnant of the vegetation communities that once covered much of the central portion of the New England Tablelands. At least seven species considered to be rare or threatened on a national scale, and a number of other regionally significant species, have been recorded within the reserve.
The Basin Nature Reserve is one of the oldest reserves in the State. It was the tenth largest nature reserve dedicated at the time of formation of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service in 1967.
