Many conservation and policy issues relating to invertebrates and biodiversity conservation focus on state lands, particularly Nature Reserves and National Parks. However, the main threats to biodiversity occur on private land. This paper principally deals with how the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 amended the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and resulted in threatened species considerations being integrated into the New South Wales planning system. The main focus of this paper is how threatened species are considered in the development of private land. Special emphasis is given to threatened invertebrates and the way in which these species must be considered in those development applications which affect the habitats and populations of these fauna.