Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value are special areas that contain irreplaceable biodiversity values important to the whole of New South Wales, Australia or globally.

The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 gives the Minister for Environment the power to declare Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value on land in New South Wales.

The eligibility criteria for Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value (AOBV) are contained in section 3.2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and explained further in clause 3.1 of the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017 (see the 'Justification for proposed area as an Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value' section of this form).

The criteria are designed to identify the most valuable sites for biodiversity conservation in New South Wales, with a focus on sites with highly distinctive biodiversity or features critical to the future of biodiversity in New South Wales. They include unique components of genetic diversity that enable species to adapt to changing environments, habitat critical for the survival of threatened species or features that support species migration and dispersal.

How to complete the proposal form

Before making a proposal, please consider carefully whether the area is likely to satisfy at least one of the scientific criteria in the 'Justification for proposed area as an Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value' section of this form (per clause 3.1 of the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation).

Refer to the Guidelines for interpreting listing criteria for Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value for help interpreting the terms and concepts in the criteria.

Landowner support

If you do not own the land that you want to propose as an Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value and it is privately owned, your proposal must include some evidence that you have spoken to the owner of the land, not just the occupier of the land, about your proposal and that the landowner supports your proposal being made. You will need to provide the landowner's contact details so that the department can contact him or her about the proposal.

If the proposal covers multiple landowners, you will need to provide contact details for each and evidence of their support. This information is mandatory. The department will contact the landowner to verify this information.

In addition, the department will seek the private landowner's consent at key points in the assessment process – for example, to carry out any on-site assessments and to recommend the land for declaration as an AOBV to the Minister.

If your proposal is on public land then your proposal should, at a minimum, identify the local, state or other authority that is the owner or manager of the land and contact details, if available. If the proposal proceeds, the department must seek the support of the head of the relevant authority.

Getting help

You are encouraged to seek expert advice where appropriate to assist in completing this form.

The information you provide in this form will only be used for the purpose for which it was collected. By submitting, you consent to storage, use, and disclosure of your personal information in accordance with our privacy policy. You can request access and amendment to your personal information.

Site details

This section should contain information identifying the proposed area, including a name, description, land ownership details, address and a map showing proposed boundaries, preferably as a GIS ESRI shape file.

The site address and location and a map must be provided. If the site address information is sensitive, please include as an attachment.







Land ownership

Private land
Private landowner details








Public land



Description



Note any features that distinguish the proposed area from other comparable habitat areas.
Justification for proposed area as an Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value

Identify the area's potential outstanding biodiversity values against the scientific criteria. The response to each criterion should indicate how the proposed area meets the criterion at the NSW state, national or global scale. Refer to the Guidelines for interpreting listing criteria for Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value to assist you in completing this section. Include supporting information such as reports, data and images as attachments to this form.

All fields are mandatory. If the criteria is not relevant, please enter N/A.

Assessment against the criteria

An area should be declared an area of outstanding biodiversity because:

  1. the area is important at a state, national or global scale
  1. the area makes a significant contribution to the persistence of at least one of the following:
    • multiple species or at least one threatened species or ecological community

      An area makes a significant contribution to the persistence of multiple species or at least one threatened species or ecological community if:

      • it provides resilience during periods of environmental stress that is important for their continued existence
      • it sustains adaptive capacity or evolutionary potential because it contains high levels of unique components of genetic or phenotypic diversity that will enable species to adapt to changing environments or it functions as an important ecological or evolutionary refuge able to sustain viable populations of species at risk due to climate change or other environmental stresses
      • it supports migration or dispersal of animals and plants, currently or in the future, that will contribute significantly to the persistence of species at risk
      • it is habitat critical for the survival of a threatened species.
  1. irreplaceable biological distinctiveness

    An area makes a significant contribution to the persistence of irreplaceable biological distinctiveness if:

    • it has a very high structural, functional or compositional diversity
    • it is an essential site for the persistence of evolutionary or ecological distinctive species, endemic species or ecological communities
    • it is an essential site for the persistence of 2 or more threatened species or ecological communities in any combination.
  1. ecological processes or ecological integrity

    An area makes a significant contribution to the persistence of ecological processes or ecological integrity if:

    • it has ecological integrity, being an area that is:
      • an outstanding, relatively intact example of a functioning ecosystem type, or if a fully intact ecosystem does not remain, then the best remaining example of that ecosystem type that contributes to maintaining the persistence of biodiversity and ecological integrity
      • the most intact remaining site of a species occurrence that provides habitat requirements vital to the conservation of a species
      • the last known remaining site of a species occurrence
    • it is a primary contributor to the continuation of essential ecological processes
    • it is an essential site for a significant proportion of the population of a species during one or more key life history stages or processes.
  1. outstanding ecological value for education or scientific research

    An area makes a significant contribution to the persistence of outstanding ecological value for education or scientific research if it contains established infrastructure or data related to long-term ecological research monitoring programs that establish an irreplaceable historic baseline, being the best site anywhere in NSW for long-term research on particular species, ecological communities or ecological processes.

Other values

Site management



Supporting information

References

Declaration
  • I declare that the information in this proposal and any attachments is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
  • I permit the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to provide a copy of the proposal and any attachments to other people or organisations for expert comment or advice.
  • I permit the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to include location details or data included in the proposal and any attachments in GIS databases and registers it manages, including publicly accessible databases and registers.
  • I permit the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to use, reproduce, publish, communicate and distribute information contained in the proposal and any attachments, in publications including assessment reports, documents for public information, and on the department's website.



If you request confidentiality please ensure you have not included your personal information, or any information that can be used to identify you, in the body of the proposal form or in any attachments, other than in the 'your details' section below.

Your details





Contact us

Areas of Outstanding Biodiversity Value

Phone: 1300 361 967

Email: [email protected]