The NSW Government is planning to introduce the Biodiversity Conservation Bill 2016 and the Local Land Services Amendment Bill 2016 to Parliament in October. To provide some background to these Bills, this e-brief examines the development of threatened species legislation in NSW. Three key NSW Acts are covered – the Endangered Fauna (Interim Protection) Act 1991, Fisheries Management Act 1994 and Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, with a particular focus on the last of these. This e-brief finishes with a snapshot of threatened species in NSW today, as encapsulated by the NSW State of the Environment 2015 report.