Any person may nominate a native species, ecological community or threatening process for listing under any of the categories specified in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
Nomination and listing process
An overview of the nomination and listing process is provided in the nomination process flowchart.
An invitation to nominate is extended by the Minister each year ahead of a new assessment cycle. Nominations submitted within the advertised invitation period and that satisfy the EPBC Regulations are forwarded to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee (the Committee), who prepare a Proposed Priority Assessment List (PPAL) of nominations for consideration by the Minister. The PPAL may include species that are nominated by states and territories through the common assessment method process.
The Minister considers the PPAL developed by the Committee and may make changes. The Finalised Priority Assessment List (FPAL) is published on this website and nominators will be notified of the outcome.
Nominations included in the FPAL are assessed by the Committee within the timeframe set by the Minister. The Committee will invite public and expert comment on these nominations during the assessment period.
The Committee's advice is forwarded to the Minister, who decides whether the species, ecological community or key threatening process is eligible for listing under the EPBC Act.
For a comprehensive understanding of the provisions relating to nominations and listing, please refer directly to the EPBC Act and Regulations.
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000
Additional consideration of nominations for species and ecological communities affected by the 2019/20 bushfires and 2022 floods
The 2019/20 bushfires had catastrophic impacts on Australia’s wildlife and ecological communities. Many species and ecological communities which were listed as threatened prior to the bushfires are now likely to be eligible for transfer to a higher listing category and others, which are not currently listed, may now warrant listing as threatened.
In the 2021 and 2022 FPALs, the Minister decided to conduct interim prioritisation processes which mirror the statutory process for the annual PPAL process under the EPBC Act. This will enable consideration of fire and flood affected species and ecological communities as required evidence becomes available to support a nomination. Nominations for these species and ecological communities remain open.
Making a nomination
Nominations are now invited for species, ecological communities or threatening processes to be considered for listing, transfer between listing categories or delisting under the EPBC Act. To be considered in the PPAL for the assessment period starting 1 October 2023, nominations must be submitted by 5 pm (AEDT) on Friday 31 March 2023. The priorities for assessment will be determined in July 2023 and the assessment period for the prioritised nominations will commence 1 October 2023.
The theme for the assessment period starting 1 October 2023, as determined by the Minister for the Environment and Water is: “Species and ecological communities threatened by extreme weather events”.
Nominations outside the theme will also be accepted.
For further information regarding the call for nominations, email EPBCNOM@dcceew.gov.au.
Before submitting a nomination
Please note and use the nomination forms and guidelines provided below. Before you submit a nomination for a species, ecological community or key threatening process, please check the below links to see if it is 1) already listed on a current EPBC Act list, 2) currently under assessment, 3) previously assessed and found to be ineligible, 4) data deficient species, 5) removed from the EPBC Act lists, 6) not prioritised for assessment or 7) disallowed from the EPBC Act lists. For ecological community nominations also refer to the list of potential gaps in national protection identified in the report of the National Threatened Ecological Communities Strategic Workshop.
1) Current EPBC Act lists
2) Current Assessments
3) Assessed as ineligible for listing
4) Data deficient species
5) Removed from the EPBC Act lists
6) Not prioritised for assessment
7) Disallowed from the EPBC Act lists
Advice and recovery plans
To assist you in preparing your nomination, it is recommended that you read recent advice developed by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee. Recovery plans for threatened species and threatened ecological communities may also be a useful information source.
Nomination forms and guidelines
These forms cover the requirements of the Threatened Species Scientific Committee and EPBC Regulations and provides information on how to submit a nomination.