Commonwealth areas include:
- land owned by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency (including on Norfolk Island) and airspace over the land
- land leased by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency (including on Norfolk Island, Kakadu National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and Booderee National Park) and airspace over the land
- land in:
- an external Territory (except Norfolk Island) or the Jervis Bay Territory and airspace over the land
- the continental shelf, and the waters and airspace over the continental shelf
- the waters of the exclusive economic zone, the seabed under those waters and the airspace above those waters
- any other area of land, sea or seabed that is included in a Commonwealth reserve
Commonwealth areas do not include:
- Territory Land in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
- Coastal waters of Australian States and the Northern Territory (to three nautical miles from an agreed baseline).
Permits
A permit is needed to access biological resources.
- In most Commonwealth areas you need to apply for a permit.
- In the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, please contact the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
- In the Australian Antarctic Territory, please contact the Australian Government Antarctic Division.
Please note: Depending on the type of research you are planning to do, you may need other permits. For more information go to EPBC Act Permits and application forms.
Regulations
Regulations set requirements for the access to and use of biological resources. For more information see: