{"id":"F2019L00036","name":"Conservation Theme for Prioritising Nominations for Listing Threatened Species, Threatened Ecological Communities and Key Threatening Processes for the Assessment Period Commencing 1 October 2019 (210)","slug":"f2019l00036","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":318152,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2019L00036-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Conservation Theme for Prioritising Nominations for Listing Threatened Species, Threatened Ecological Communities and Key Threatening Processes for the Assessment Period Commencing 1 October 2019 (210)","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n \n\nCommonwealth of Australia\n\n \n\n \n\nConservation Theme for Prioritising Nominations for Listing Threatened Species, Threatened Ecological Communities and Key Threatening Processes for the Assessment Period Commencing 1 October 2019 (210)\n\n \n\n \n\nI, MELISSA PRICE, Minister for the Environment under section 194D of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), determine that the following conservation theme should be given priority in relation to the assessment period commencing 1 October 2019:\n\n \n\n \n\nSpecies and Ecological Communities that are severely affected by fire regimes\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nMelissa Price\n\n \n\nMinister for the Environment\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nDated 18/12/2018\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs exactly the function intended by section 194D of the EPBC Act — allowing the Minister to set priority themes for threatened species assessments. It has not expanded beyond this narrow, specific purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Extremely short instrument — approximately 150 words of substantive content","No defined terms section","No cross-references to other legislative provisions beyond the single empowering provision (s 194D)","No conditional logic, exceptions, or procedural requirements","Single, clear operative clause stating the priority theme","Essentially a ministerial declaration with no regulatory machinery"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a short official direction from Australia's Environment Minister about how to prioritise which threatened plants, animals, and ecosystems get assessed for protection.\n\n**What it does:**\n- Sets a **\"conservation theme\"** (basically, a priority focus area) for deciding which species and ecological communities should be fast-tracked for listing as \"threatened\" under national environmental law.\n- For the assessment period starting 1 October 2019, the priority theme is: **species and ecosystems severely affected by fire regimes** (meaning how fires occur, how often, and how intense they are).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- The **Threatened Species Scientific Committee** — the expert body that assesses nominations for listing threatened species and communities.\n- **Scientists, conservation groups, and land managers** who nominate species for protection.\n- **Native plants, animals, and ecosystems** at risk from changing fire patterns (including more frequent or intense bushfires).\n\n**Why it matters:**\n- Australia has a backlog of species needing assessment for threatened status. This tells the committee: \"Focus on fire-affected species first.\"\n- Fire regimes are a major threat to Australian biodiversity — think of how the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires devastated wildlife. This instrument was made just before that disaster, showing foresight about an escalating problem.\n- Getting listed as \"threatened\" unlocks legal protections, recovery funding, and recovery planning.\n\n**Key context:**\n- Made under the *Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999* (EPBC Act), Australia's main national environmental law.\n- Section 194D allows the Minister to set these priority themes to guide the committee's workload."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument establishes a priority theme for a specified assessment period. The source text contains no prior-theme text or indication that it alters an existing theme; it announces a new prioritisation for the upcoming assessment window. There is no information in the instrument to show a change from an earlier stated scope or intent."},"complexity_factors":["Single-sentence substantive action: sets one priority theme only.","Clear statutory hook referenced (s194D) but no procedural detail provided.","Time-limited application (assessment period commencing 1 October 2019) creates a narrow temporal scope.","No criteria, metrics, or implementation instructions included—low legal detail but produces administrative discretion.","Impacts are indirect (prioritisation of assessments) rather than creating new rights or obligations."],"plain_english_summary":"The Minister used her s194D power under the EPBC Act to prioritise assessments during the period starting 1 October 2019 for nominations concerning \"species and ecological communities that are severely affected by fire regimes.\" This administrative direction affects nominators and assessment bodies by reordering assessment effort—speeding up matching nominations but likely delaying others—without itself listing, delisting, or imposing new legal obligations."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/f2019l00036","history":"/api/acts/f2019l00036/history","analysis":"/api/acts/f2019l00036/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/f2019l00036/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/f2019l00036/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/f2019l00036/documents"}}