Scientific research or educational purposes permits – conducted outside QPWS areas
Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, a research permit or an educational purposes permit issued under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020 will need to be obtained for any scientific, research or educational activities involving the take, keep or use of protected animals on private land, public purposes reserves, and other estates that operate outside of protected areas (including nature refuges and special wildlife reserves).
Protected plants in non-protected areas are not subject to scientific, research or educational purposes permits, but you may need a permit to clear, harvest or grow protected plants.
Examples of scientific and research activities that will require a permit include:
- a government department conducting research including fauna surveys, for example pre-development, or to research how effective a wildlife crossing is
- a consultant conducting fauna surveys for an Environmental Impact Study
- the collection of protected animal parts or products such as feathers, hair, biopsies, blood, and tissue for research purposes
- research on a particular protected animal, including tag and release studies, or capturing an animal and keeping or processing the animal at a university laboratory or field centre.
Examples of educational activities that will require a permit include:
- the collection of road kill (protected animals) for educational purposes (for example Zoology or Veterinary Science students)
- university field trip where animals are captured and released
- keeping native wildlife in a classroom for educational purposes (a written statement is required detailing the educational and environmental messages that will be delivered to students).
Exemptions for natural products
Outside of protected areas, natural products that are derived from or shed, lost or excreted by a protected animal can be taken, kept and used for non-commercial purposes without requiring a research or educational purposes permit.
Natural products include:
- a snake skin that has been shed
- bones found in the faeces of an animal
- feather that has been lost by a bird.
Natural products must not be the result of human inducement or intervention (for example, if the feather is pulled from a bird, whether dead or alive), it is not a natural product under this definition).
Natural products collected as part of any non-commercial activity are exempt from requiring a permit.
For further information about collection of natural products visit collection authorities.
How to apply
To apply for Scientific, Education, Conservation and Research Authorities conducted on non-protected areas such as freehold land, leasehold land and council reserves or protected areas such as national parks, conservation parks and state forests please apply using your Online Services account. Once logged on, please choose the “Scientific, Educational, Conservation and Research Authorities " hub to make your application.
If you are proposing to take keep and use protected animals for scientific, research or educational purposes at a number of sites, and on a range of tenures (for example private land as well as national parks, nature refuges, state forests, recreation areas and marine parks) it may assist to discuss your project with a departmental representative. For further information:
- visit the protected area scientific and educational research webpage
- contact Parkaccess@des.qld.gov.au
- complete a pre-lodgement request online.
Reporting on your activity
You are required to complete the following to report on your permit activity.
- Return of operations for Scientific, Educational and Conservation Activities
- Report - Research for Scientific, Educational and Conservation activities