Application for a biodiversity conservation licence under Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 to:
- harm an animal that is a threatened species or part of an ecological community
- pick a plant that is a threatened species or part of an ecological community
- damage habitat of a threatened species or ecological community
- damage a declared area of outstanding biodiversity value.
A threatened species or ecological community means a species or ecological community identified in Schedule 1 or 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act.
An area of outstanding biodiversity conservation value means an area declared under Part 3 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act. Declared areas of outstanding biodiversity value were previously known as 'critical habitat'.
Processing times and fees
The department will assess your application as soon as possible. You can assist this process by providing clear and concise information in your application.
Once your application has been received and processed you will receive an invoice for a $30 licence application fee.
Some applications can take longer to process than others, due to the nature of the proposed actions. Under the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017, applications must be processed within 28 days after the date an application has been made. This may be extended to 56 days at the discretion of the Secretary of the department.
Request for additional information
The Secretary may, after receiving the application, request additional information necessary for the determination of the licence application.
Protected animals and protected plants
- Protected animals means animals identified in Schedule 5 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act.
- Protected plant means a plant of a species named in Schedule 6 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Licensing provisions for protected animals and protected plants are contained within Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act. The Threatened Species Licence class of biodiversity conservation licences may be extended to include protected animals and protected plants when these will be affected by the action.
If you are applying for a licence to cover both threatened and protected species, please provide the information requested as well as a list of protected species and details of the number of individual animals or proportion and type of plant material which are likely to be harmed or picked.
Public Register of Threatened Species Licences
Licences granted under Part 2 of the Biodiversity Conservation Act are listed on the department website at Public Register of Threatened Species Licences.