Accredited biodiversity reports refer to assessments conducted by accredited assessors to evaluate the biodiversity impacts of development proposals in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. These reports follow the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM), which is a standardised approach for assessing impacts on biodiversity under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
Accredited biodiversity reports refer to assessments conducted by accredited assessors to evaluate the biodiversity impacts of development proposals in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. These reports follow the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM), which is a standardised approach for assessing impacts on biodiversity under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.
There are three main types of accredited biodiversity reports under BAM in NSW:
A biodiversity assessment is conducted to understand the potential impacts of a proposed development on biodiversity values. It is a key part of the environmental impact assessment process.
Common methods used in biodiversity assessments include vegetation surveys, habitat assessments, species inventories and ecological modelling. The findings help identify appropriate ways to avoid, minimise and offset biodiversity impacts. This contributes to conservation outcomes while allowing appropriate development.
Biodiversity assessments also inform urban planning and development decisions. They highlight areas of high conservation value to be protected and guide sustainable development in sensitive environmental areas.
The Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) is the standardised framework for assessing impacts on biodiversity under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. It provides consistent methods, tools and reporting templates enabling accredited assessors to quantify biodiversity losses and gains from development proposals and conservation actions.
The BAM was released by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage and aligns with the Biodiversity Offset Scheme under the Biodiversity Conservation Act. At Access EP, our ecological consultants are accredited BAM assessors, using the legislated BAM to produce accredited reports like BDARs on behalf of clients in NSW.
Key components of a BAM assessment include landscape feature mapping, native vegetation classification assessing habitat condition and suitability. These standardised Habitat hectare assessments allow impacts on threatened entities to be consistently identified and analysed.
For example, infrastructure and mining projects requiring significant land clearing have specific BAM thresholds triggering entry into the Offset Scheme. BAM ensures developments likely to impact threatened species habitats undertake appropriate assessments and offsets. This facilitates species protection and monitoring.
The consistent application of the BAM improves impact monitoring and in-depth understanding of at-risk species like the Swift Parrot. It enables evidence-based conservation planning targeting priority populations.
The Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 is legislation in NSW aiming to protect and restore the state's native plants and animals while allowing ecologically sustainable development. Some of its objectives are to encourage land-use practices that conserve biodiversity and promote cooperative management of protected areas.
In NSW, large infrastructure projects, mines, forestry operations, housing developments over a certain size and industrial facilities require a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) under the BAM. The key regulation requiring a BAM assessment in NSW is the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Section 6.12 specifies that development likely to significantly affect threatened species must assess impacts using the legislated Biodiversity Assessment Method and offset policy.
The Biodiversity Offsets Scheme threshold tool helps proponents self-assess if a BAM report is needed for their proposal. The requirements aim to balance development and conservation needs in NSW.
The NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme is a market-based system established under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. It allows developers to counterbalance residual impacts on biodiversity from approved projects by purchasing biodiversity credits, in order to achieve “no net loss” conservation outcomes.
Key entities involved include:
The Biodiversity Offset Scheme aligns to conservation goals by requiring impact assessment using the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) and mandating like-for-like offsets for affected threatened species and ecological communities.
Industries and projects required to enter the offset scheme after exceeding biodiversity impact thresholds include mines, large infrastructure projects, forestry operations, intensive agriculture and property developments involving significant clearing of native vegetation.
If a proposed DA does not invoke into the NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, a Flora and Fauna Impact Assessment incorporating a "5 Part Test" may still be required for the development application (DA). This assesses the significance of biodiversity impacts under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Accredited BAM assessors are qualified ecological consultants authorised by the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to conduct Biodiversity Assessment Method assessments and compile accredited biodiversity reports like BDARs in NSW.
To become accredited, assessors must have tertiary qualifications in ecology, or equivalent demonstrated skills and experience. They must pass an exam demonstrating competency in the BAM and associated software tools.
A Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) is an accredited biodiversity assessment report prepared under the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method. It is submitted by developers to assess biodiversity impacts and required biodiversity offsets for larger projects with significant impacts.
BDARs form a key component of the environmental impact assessment process in NSW. They provide consent authorities with detailed information on a development's biodiversity impacts to inform approval decisions. BDARs prepared under the legislated BAM ensure a consistent scientific basis for assessing the significance of biodiversity impacts, determining offset requirements and applying conditions of consent to approvals.
The submission and approval of BDARs are integrated into the broader NSW development assessment process. After preparation by an accredited person, BDARs are submitted to the consent authority, often local councils, for consideration along with the development application.
In NSW, industries likely to require a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) include: infrastructure involving significant land clearing like roads, mines, large housing developments over set clearing thresholds, agricultural developments involving intensive land use changes, large industrial facilities with biodiversity impacts and forestry operations.
The laws governing Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports (BDAR) in NSW are the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Section 6.12 of the BC Act establishes the requirement for BDARs to assess biodiversity offsets. Non-compliant BDARs or failure to retire required offsets can result in criminal penalties for developers under this Act.
Yes, the Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) process under the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method is unique to New South Wales. While other states have biodiversity assessment processes for development approvals, the BAM framework tailored specifically for NSW biodiversity was an Australian first upon its introduction. It aims to standardise and streamline biodiversity impact assessment and offsetting in NSW.
An Accredited BAM Assessor registered with the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage is responsible for preparing and submitting a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report in NSW on behalf of a development proponent. At Access EP, our experienced ecological consultants can undertake the necessary field assessments and compile BDAR documentation to support development applications in NSW.
The consideration of biodiversity values and mandated biodiversity offsets under the BDAR process promotes sustainable development in NSW. By quantifying and requiring counter-balancing of biodiversity losses from development, BDARs help to achieve “no net loss” outcomes for threatened species and communities over time. Appropriately located biodiversity offsets enable ongoing economic development while conserving NSW’s natural assets.
A Biodiversity Certification Assessment Report (BCAR) assesses and maps the biodiversity values of land certified for conservation under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Like BDARs, BCARs are prepared by accredited BAM assessors with ecological expertise.
While BCARs do not directly contribute to environmental impact assessments, the biodiversity credit market they support creates incentives for voluntary private land conservation. This facilitates indirect positive biodiversity outcomes providing offsets for development impacts assessed in BDARs and other processes.
The submission and approval of BCARs is through the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust. Assessors submit reports to the Trust on behalf of landowners seeking certification. If proposals meet requirements under the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017, sites can be certified creating saleable
A BCAR is voluntarily prepared on behalf of landowners seeking to enter a private land conservation agreement and create biodiversity credits from conservation land in NSW. Private landholders like farmers and other large land owners may choose to pursue biodiversity certification and stewardship agreements on their properties.
An Accredited BAM Assessor is responsible for undertaking field assessments, preparing a Biodiversity Certification Assessment Report and submitting it to the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust for approval of biodiversity certification proposals on private land in NSW. The Biodiversity Conservation Trust is the responsible agency that must formally approve certification of lands as biodiversity stewardship sites under the BC Regulation 2017.
A Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Report (BSSAR) assesses biodiversity values and establishes management actions for land to be conserved under a Biodiversity Stewardship Agreement with the NSW government. Like BCARs, it determines potential ecosystem and species credits that could be generated. BSSARs are prepared by accredited assessors.
While BSSARs do not directly form part of environmental impact assessments, the biodiversity stewardship agreements and conservation funding they enable make an important contribution. By assessing and preserving lands with high conservation values, BSSAR-facilitated stewardship sites provide a pool of potential offsets that can counterbalance impacts quantified through BDAR assessments and other processes.
The submission and approval of a BSSAR allows land of high conservation value to be established as a biodiversity stewardship site with ongoing management funding supported by biodiversity credit sales. Government agencies work collaboratively with private landowners under stewardship agreements.
A BSSAR is prepared for landowners seeking to enter into contractual Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements with the NSW government on private land containing areas of high biodiversity value suitable for conservation. Like BCARs, BSSARs would typically be pursued by private landholders such as farmers, forest managers and other owners of large undeveloped land parcels interested in conservation partnerships.
An Accredited BAM Assessor is responsible for preparing and submitting a Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Report (BSSAR) to the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Trust on behalf of private landowners proposing Biodiversity Stewardship Agreements in NSW. The Trust works with state agencies like Local Land Services to assess BSSAR proposals and approve suitable sites as biodiversity stewardship sites under contractual agreements.
The main differences between the three accredited biodiversity reports under the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method are:
No, the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) is the overall framework containing standardised procedures for undertaking accredited biodiversity assessments in NSW. It incorporates various tools and components like the BAM calculator.
A Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) is a specific type of accredited biodiversity report prepared under the BAM by accredited assessors. So BAM is the overarching assessment methodology, while BDAR represents one kind of report prepared under the BAM requirements.
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