Consultation open on draft EPBC Act information and survey guidelines for Little Penguin

Little Penguin by Claire Greenwell

New draft information and best practice survey guidelines have been developed for the Little Penguin under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). These document outline how to identify and manage potential impacts on little penguins associated with offshore wind farm proposals.

Based on a comprehensive literature review into Little Penguin behaviour and ecology, the document documents provide:

• important habitat areas

• mitigation and avoidance measures

• impact assessment considerations.

The work aims to:

• provide clear expectations to help proponents and ecological consultants prepare assessment information.

• enable efficient and robust assessment by regulators.

The Department of Climate, Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is seeking feedback on these documents with consultation open until 5pm, Wednesday, 24 June 2026. Feedback received during the consultation period will be considered when finalising the documents.

To have your say:

• read the consultation documents

• complete a survey or upload a submission.

Consultation documents

Draft EPBC Act information

• Draft EPBC Act information for the Little penguin [PDF 1.4MB ]

• Draft EPBC Act information for the Little penguin [DOCX 2.8MB]

Draft survey guidelines

• Draft national survey guidelines for the Little penguin [PDF 1.6MB]

• Draft national survey guidelines for the Little penguin [DOCX 1.6MB]

Supporting documents

• Review of potential impacts on Little penguins from offshore wind farms [PDF 2.7MB]

• Review of potential impacts on Little penguins from offshore wind farms [DOCX 6MB]

Take the Survey

https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/draft-epbc-act-information-and-survey-guidelines-for-little-penguins/survey

For more information on the DCCEEW RERI, visit: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/advice/renewable-energy-projects/reri

Consultation open on draft EPBC Act information and survey guidelines for albatross and petrels

Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross by Claire Greenwell

New draft information and best practice survey guidelines have been developed for albatross and petrels under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). These document outline how to identify and manage potential impacts on albatrosses and petrels associated with offshore wind farm proposals.

Based on a comprehensive literature review and new research into albatross and petrel behaviour and ecology, the document documents provide:

• species information

• impact evaluation

• avoidance and mitigation strategies

• best-practice seabird survey methods.

The work aims to:

• provide clear expectations to help proponents and ecological consultants prepare assessment information.

• enable efficient and robust assessment by regulators.

The Department of Climate, Change, Energy, Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is seeking feedback on these documents with consultation open until 11:59pm AEST on Sunday 21 June 2026. Feedback received during the consultation period will be considered when finalising the documents.

To have your say:

• read the consultation documents

• complete a survey or upload a submission.

Consultation documents

Draft EPBC Act information

• Draft EPBC Act information for albatrosses and petrels [PDF 1.3MB]

• Draft EPBC Act information for albatrosses and petrels [DOCX 2MB]

Draft survey guidelines and data standards

• Best practice survey guidelines and data standards for albatrosses and petrels [PDF 758KB]

• Best practice survey guidelines and data standards for albatrosses and petrels [DOCX 363KB]

Supporting documents

• Review of potential impacts on albatrosses and petrels [PDF 1.5MB]

• Review of potential impacts on albatrosses and petrels [DOCX 3.8MB]

Take the Survey

https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/draft-epbc-act-information-and-survey-guidelines-albatross-and-petrels/survey

For more information on the DCCEEW RERI, visit: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/advice/renewable-energy-projects/reri

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (COP15)

Barau's Petrel by Claire Greenwell

The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS COP15), held in Campo Grande, Brazil, from 23 – 29 March delivered major advances for migratory species conservation—particularly for seabirds.

Following nominations from the Governments of New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Cook Islands, Dominican Republic and Fiji, the COP agreed to list 20 species and subspecies of gadfly petrels (Pterodroma sp.) and 4 species of Pseudobulweria on Appendices I and II of the Convention. These listings include most of the gadfly petrels that occur in Australasia and represent a significant conservation action for these birds. As a group, gadfly petrels include some of the rarest, most endangered and poorly understood seabirds in the world, and are the most threatened group of seabirds after the albatrosses.

The listing of gadfly petrels will provide greater global recognition to a group of highly migratory species that are not explicitly covered by any international agreements. CMS Parties are now legally bound to impose protection measures for Appendix I-listed gadfly petrel taxa and their habitats, and to cooperate to improve the conservation status of Appendix II-listed taxa, including through international agreements such as Agreement of the Conservation of Albatross and Petrels (ACAP). The co-sponsors have already declared an intention to develop a global multi-species action plan to guide conservation measures for the listed species.

Gould's Petrel by Claire Greenwell

Details on the species and the Appendix on which they have been listed are shown below:

Species Scientific Name Appendix

Mascarene Petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima                      I

Beck’s Petrel                          Pseudobulweria becki                             I

Fiji petrel                          Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi              I

Barau’s Petrel                       Pterodroma baraui                                    I

Vanuatu Petrel                      Pterodroma cervicalis occulta            I

Black-capped Petrel             Pterodroma hasitata                                I

Atlantic Petrel                  Pterodroma incerta                                  I

Zino’s Petrel                       Pterodroma madeira                                I

Magenta Petrel                     Pterodroma magenta                              I

Tahiti Petrel                       Pseudobulweria rostrata                        II

Phoenix Petrel                     Pterodroma alba                                        II

Trindade Petrel                   Pterodroma arminjoniana                      II

Chatham Petrel                   Pterodroma axillaris                                 II

Collared Petrel                     Pterodroma brevipes                               II

White-necked Petrel           Pterodroma cervicalis cervicalis        II

Cook’s Petrel                     Pterodroma cookii (Northern & Southern pop.) II

Masatierra Petrel                 Pterodroma defilippiana                         II

Desertas Petrel                     Pterodroma deserta                                 II

Juan Fernandez Petrel          Pterodroma externa                                II

Cape Verde Petrel                 Pterodroma feae                                        II

Gould’s Petrel                        Pterodroma leucoptera (Australian & New Caledonian)     II         

Pycroft’s Petrel                    Pterodroma pycrofti                                 II

Stejneger's Petrel                  Pterodroma longirostris                          II

Chilean Kermadec Petrel    Pterodroma neglecta juana                  II

Tahiti Petrel by Claire Greenwell