On 18 September, 2014 the Nature Conservation Bill 2014 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly. On 27 November 2014 the Nature Conservation Act 2014 (NC Act) was passed by the ACT Legislative Assembly. The NC Act commenced on 11 June 2015.
The Bill followed a review of the Nature Conservation Act 1980 that included several years' work and input from community organisations, stakeholders and interest groups.
The Consultation Report (1.4 MB) includes how submissions received from various consultation processes were dealt with in the NC Act. Consultations included a Roundtable, chaired by the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment, public consultation on an exposure draft and consultation on a Discussion Paper - Review of the Nature Conservation Act 1980.
The Regulatory Impact Statement (789.4 KB) informed development of the Bill.
Public Consultation on Exposure Draft
The exposure draft for the Nature Conservation Bill 2013 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 31 October 2013. Submissions received on the exposure draft are available below:
- ACT Equestrian Association ()
- Canberra Ornithologists Group (COG) ()
- Friends of Grasslands ()
- Richard Sharp ()
- Geoffrey Dabb ()
- National Parks Association of the ACT (NPA ACT) ()
- Office of the Commissioner for Sustainability and the Environment (OCSE) ()
- Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) (730.4 KB)
Discussion paper - Review of the Nature Conservation Act 1980
A Discussion Paper (1.9 MB) on the review of the Act was released for public comment on 3 December 2010.
A community forum was held on Tuesday 1 February 2011. Read the forum report (216.3 KB).
The closing date for submissions was 18 February 2011 with 32 submissions received. These submissions can be viewed below.
- Frankie Seymour (84.9 KB)
- Friends of Aranda Bushland (20.8 KB)
- Land Development Agency (105.0 KB)
- Canberra Ornithologists Group (94.2 KB)
- Margaret Peachey (80.5 KB)
- Belconnen Community Council (24.0 KB)
- Ginninderra Catchment Group (1.8 MB)
- Friends of Grasslands (120.6 KB)
- Rosemary Blemings (75.2 KB)
- Dr Don Driscoll (17.9 KB)
- Ian Smith (138.4 KB)
- Geoffrey Dabb (186.1 KB)
- SEE-Change (257.3 KB)
- ACT Natural Resource Management Council (1.4 MB)
- ACT Rural Landholders Association (127.3 KB)
- ACT Equestrian Association (173.7 KB)
- Limestone Plains Group (13.3 KB)
- Animal Liberation ACT (70.9 KB)
- Birds Australia (17.7 KB)
- The Wilderness Society Inc (75.1 KB)
- Southern ACT Catchment Group Inc (82.5 KB)
- Freshford Landcare Group (87.3 KB)
- Watson Community Association Inc (44.8 KB)
- ACT Heritage Council (793.7 KB)
- Friends of the Pinnacle (2.0 MB)
- Red Hill Regenerators Inc (56.9 KB)
- National Parks Association of the ACT Inc (109.2 KB)
- Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (Commonwealth) (170.2 KB)
- Conservation Council ACT Region Inc (160.1 KB)
- Adrian Manning and David Shorthouse (204.9 KB)
- Environmental Defender's Office ACT Inc (343.5 KB)
a. ACT Flora and Fauna Committee (36.6 KB)
b. ACT Flora and Fauna Committee (55.0 KB)
Other
PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) undertook a Review of the Roles and Functions of the Conservator of Flora and Fauna (211.8 KB) in 2011. The review’s recommendations, including a more strategic role for the Conservator of Flora and Fauna, informed the exposure draft of the Nature Conservation Bill 2013.
The first step of the Nature Conservation Act 1980 review was the appointment of Marsden and Jacob Associates (MJA) to provide advice on the form, scope, function, policy, principles and objectives of contemporary best practice nature conservation legislation. Read the MJA Report on the outcomes from the review (365.6 KB).