Threatened species and communities database searches
The department provides a database search service to assist proponents in ascertaining if threatened or priority flora, fauna or ecological communities may be present at a particular location.
The Species and Communities Program manages databases that contain records of threatened and priority flora, fauna and ecological communities. The Program provides a database search service to assist proponents in ascertaining if threatened or priority flora, fauna or ecological communities may be present at a particular location.
Requesting a database search
Please include all the required information in an email to the relevant database contact(s).
Required information
Who: Name/company and contact details (including billing address) of who is requesting the database search, and the client (if applicable)
Where: Area of interest that will be searched for records (in one of the following formats) and the address, or land parcel identifier, or tenement reference, and a brief locality description (e.g. reference the closest suburb or town) to ensure the search is undertaken in the correct area.
Provide one of the following:
- Shapefile consisting of *.shp, *.shx and *.dbf files.
The shapefile may include a buffer around an area of interest, but in that case, also provide the unbuffered area within that shapefile or as a separate shapefile. - A central coordinate in either geographic format (latitude and longitude as decimal degrees or degrees, minutes and seconds) or projected format (zone, easting and northing).
A radial buffer may be requested, otherwise an appropriate buffer will be applied when the search is conducted. - Corner coordinates of a square or rectangular area (e.g. northwest and southeast).
Purpose: Why the data is being requested, how will the data be used, including reports or other publications, and who is the end user.
What: Preferred format of the database search results (Excel spreadsheet, CSV file, shapefile or database file).
Search request
There are three types of database search requests because there are three databases, managed by different officers.
- There is a charge for the service of conducting the database. Invoices with instructions on how to pay are sent by email or mail. Credit card payment is available on request. If you would like a reference quoted on the invoice, please provide this with the search request.
- Ensure that the search request is sent to the email address below that is relevant to the data type (flora, fauna, and/or ecological communities) and contains all required information (as above).
- Send a single email to the appropriate email addresses when requesting data from multiple databases for the same project. The search results will be provided separately from each database. Payment will be combined into one invoice.
- The search results format varies between the databases; the available formats are detailed below.
- Data search results are provided by email.
Search areas should be tailored to specific project requirements. If your search area is very large or the number of records returned from the search results is exceedingly large you may be either charged a higher fee, offered planning data (flora and fauna records only) or asked to refine your search area. The planning dataset does not contain species names. This is to maintain the confidentiality these sensitive datasets. Enough detail is included to identify the presence of conservation significant species in an area.
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Database contact |
Database search results format |
Pricing* (as of 1 July 2022) |
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Threatened and priority flora flora.data@dbca.wa.gov.au |
The default format:
Species specific searches are available upon request for a fee. |
$410 (including GST) Plus $60.50 (including GST) for any additional flora search area that is requested at the same time for the same project, same end-user and within the same general locality. |
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Threatened, Specially Protected, and priority fauna |
The default format: - A shapefile of records points including species scientific and common name, class, date, locality and record source. - An additional extract of the black cockatoo breeding and roosting datasets if relevant. |
$410 (including GST) Plus $60.50 (including GST) for any additional fauna search area that is requested at the same time for the same project, same end-user and within the same general locality. |
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Threatened and priority ecological communities |
The default format: - A buffered shapefile and DBF for viewing in excel. |
$410 (including GST) Plus $60.50 (including GST) for any additional ecological community search area that is requested at the same time for the same project, same end-user and within the same general locality. |
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* No charge for department staff, other government departments and agencies, not-for-profit organisations and students (non-commercial purposes). Note that the Planning Datasets are available to download for government agencies from Data WA (https://www.data.wa.gov.au/) |
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Additional information
Time frame
Search results can take up to ten (10) working days this can vary depending on staff availability and the completeness of the information provided.
Conditions of supply
The information provided should be regarded as an indication only of the threatened and priority flora, fauna and ecological communities that may be present within the immediate area of interest, and appropriately sized buffer (if applied). The interpretation of the results should take into account the variability of survey effort across the state, and therefore should be used to assist in planning any survey work.
Further information
If you have any questions regarding database searches please contact the relevant database officer on the email address above or on 9219 9511.
