Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995

The Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act) was enacted by the Parliament of New South Wales in 1995 to protect threatened species, populations and ecological communities in NSW. In 2016 it was replaced by the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. These acts form the basis and the mechanisms in NSW by which species, populations and ecological communities are declared endangered, vulnerable or critically endangered, and under which people and corporations are prosecuted for destruction of habitat sheltering such species, populations or communities.

Species, populations, and ecological communities are declared endangered on advice from the NSW scientific committee (established by the Act), which consists of 11 members appointed by the minister and whose purpose is to determine which species are to be listed as threatened species, which populations as endangered populations, and which ecological communities as endangered, critically endangered or vulnerable ecological communities. Additionally, the committee advises which processes should be listed as threatening processes, and advises the minister accordingly.

A range of species recovery plans have been made in direct accordance with the TSC Act.

Specific legal rulings have also been made in accordance with the Act.