The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places. A statute is a formal written enactment of a Legislative authority that governs a Country, State, City, or County. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. Biodiversity is the variation of Life forms within a given Ecosystem, Biome or for the entire Earth. Enacted on 17 July 2000, it established a range of processes to help protect and promote the recovery of threatened species and ecological communities, and preserve significant places from decline. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

The EPBC Act established the use of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations, which have provided for the issuing of approvals and permits for a range of activities on Commonwealth land and land affecting the Commonwealth. For example, commercial picking of wildflowers is regulated under the EPBC Act, and cannot be undertaken without an appropriate permit. Failure to comply with the Act can result in penalties including remediation of damage, court injunctions, and criminal and civil penalties.

The Act identifies seven matters of national environmental significance:

• World Heritage properties
• National heritage places
• Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar wetlands)
• Threatened species and ecological communities
• Migratory species
• Commonwealth marine areas
• Nuclear actions (including uranium mining & building of nuclear waste repositories ^[1])

Lists of threatened species are drawn up under the act, for instance Threatened fauna of Australia, and these lists are the primary reference to threatened species in Australia. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Australian National Heritage List is a list of places deemed to be of outstanding heritage significance to Australia A wetland is an area of Land consisting of Soil that is Saturated with Moisture, such as a Swamp, Marsh, or Bog The Ramsar Convention is an international Treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wetlands i Threatened species are any species (including Animals Plants fungi, etc In Ecology, a community is an assemblage of Populations of different Species, interacting with one another Nuclear Energy is released by the splitting (fission or merging together (fusion of the nuclei of Atom (s Uranium mining is the process of extraction of Uranium Ore from the ground Radioactive wastes are Waste types containing radioactive Chemical elements that do not have a practical purpose Threatened fauna of Australia are those Species and Subspecies of Birds, Fish, Frogs, Insects, Mammals,

Contents 1 Treaties 2 2007 review 3 Related acts 3.1 State acts 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Treaties

As an Act of the Commonwealth (federal) government, the act is limited to the powers granted by the Australian Constitution, which does not expressly refer to the environment. As such, key provisions of the EPBC Act are largely based on the following treaties:^[2]

• World Heritage Convention - The Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage 1975;
• the Ramsar Convention - The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat 1975;
• The Convention on Biological Diversity 1992;
• JAMBA - Japan-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement;
• CAMBA - China-Australia Migratory Bird Agreement;
• Bonn Convention - Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals;
• CITES - The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora 1976. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Ramsar Convention is an international Treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wetlands i The Convention on Biological Diversity, known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international Treaty that was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 The Japan Australia Migratory Bird Agreement ( JAMBA) is a treaty between Australia and Japan to minimise harm to the major areas used by birds which migrate The China Australia Migratory Bird Agreement is a treaty between Australia and China to minimise harm to the major areas used by birds which migrate between The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or the Bonn Convention, not to be confused with the Bonn Agreement CITES (the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments drafted

2007 review

A review of the Act and actions taken under the act released by the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) in March 2007, the audit is entitled "The Conservation and Protection of National Threatened Species and Ecological Communities". The Australian National Audit Office ( ANAO) is the national Auditor for the Parliament of Australia and Government of Australia. The audit widely criticised the Department of the Environment and Water Resources for inaction with respect to the EPBC; key findings of the audit include:

• that the Department has failed to keep the list of threatened species sufficiently up to date and has failed to prepare recovery plans
• that there are still inconsistencies between the federal and state and territory lists of threatened species
• that due to partial or incorrect information there is a risk incorrect decisions regarding conservation may be made
• that the department has been denied funds necessary to meet their obligations under the act by the Government on four occasions. The Department of the Environment Water Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA formerly the Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEWR is a department of the Australian

Related acts

• Endangered Species Protection Act 1993
• Australian Wildlife Protection Act 1998
• Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997, which established the Natural Heritage Trust, providing funding

State acts

• Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 (TSP Act), Tasmania
• Wildlife Conservation Act 1950, Western Australia
• Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988) (FFG Act), Victoria
• National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972, South Australia
• Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, New South Wales (TSC Act)
• Nature Conservation Act 1980, Australian Capital Territory
• Nature Conservation Act, Queensland
• Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000 (TPWCA), Northern Territory
• Environment Assessment Act, Northern Territory

See also

• Threatened fauna of Australia
• Ramsar Convention
• Australian and New Zealand Environment Conservation Council (ANZECC) (1991 to 2001)
• Biodiversity Hotspots program
• Natural Heritage Trust

References

• About the EPBC Act. The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT was set up by the Australian Government in 1997 to help restore and conserve Australia's environment and natural resources The Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, is an act of the Parliament of Tasmania that provides the statute relating to conservation of flora and fauna Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass The Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 is an act of the Western Australian Parliament that provides the statute relating to conservation of flora and fauna Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act (1988 is an act of the Victorian government designed to protect species genetic material and habitats to prevent extinction and allow maximum South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the center of the mainland continent as well as the central northern regions The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the center of the mainland continent as well as the central northern regions Threatened fauna of Australia are those Species and Subspecies of Birds, Fish, Frogs, Insects, Mammals, The Ramsar Convention is an international Treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Wetlands i The Natural Heritage Trust (NHT was set up by the Australian Government in 1997 to help restore and conserve Australia's environment and natural resources Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage. Retrieved on 2006-07-11. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy.
• ANAO Audit Report No. 31 2006–07. The Conservation and Protection of National Threatened Species and Ecological Communities
• Audit slams slow Environment Department, The Age, March 29, 2007

External links

• Threatened Species and Threatened Ecological Communities under the EPBC Act
• The Act is available at http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/epabca1999588/

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