Environmental Approvals, Impact Assessments and Monitoring
Peer review of project documents:
This is a common way to ensure independence and fact-checking of internal publications. Often this can be done without field visits as legislation prescriptions can be checked via a desktop assessment.
Carry out field monitoring and surveys:
We have extensive experience guiding clients through both long term monitoring studies and short term predevelopment surveys, in both terrestrial and aquatic ecology. We use the most up to date tools available for collection, collation and presentation of data, including Anabat units, camera traps and other specialised field equipment and software. For highly specialised surveys or sampling work we can draw on a wide range of subcontracting consultants, all proven subject matter experts capable of meeting our client’s needs, including archaeological, auditing, bat call analyses and waste specialists. Through this system, we are able to keep costs down and deliver both a lean and efficient service.
Undertaking comprehensive environmental assessments as part of development approvals under Part 4 & Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act):
We have written a large number of concise, clear and structured environmental assessment reports, including Reviews of Environmental Factors (REFs) which can be speedily reviewed and commented on by planning authorities. These reports are structured to clearly outline the likely impacts of and their significance to society and the environment for approval to be judged. We can work closely with you, your people, the community and overarching agency’s to efficiently bring approval to fruition in a mutually acceptable form. Feel free to ask for examples of our work.
Design project approval and stakeholder engagement pathways:
One service we offer is to step out and explain for clients the approval stages which will be essential for project success. In this way our clients can see the process and work path they will need to take whilst doing the work internally. Our peer review service can support this function further by independently reviewing the content of these stages. Similar to this is designing stakeholder engagement plans and delivering these on your behalf. We have helped present and answer stakeholder questions on the environmental impacts of projects for many clients including meetings and interpretation material.
Conduct stakeholder and third party liaison:
TEF has established relationships with the various state regulatory bodies, and we know our way around the federal government referral system. We can undertake extensive community and stakeholder consultation for you, facilitate workshops to gather data and feedback, and help ensure early community and regulator buy-in on projects.
Secondary approvals and liaison with regulatory bodies:
We have extensive experience in secondary approvals, including Fisheries Permits (under the Fisheries Management Act 1994), Environment Protection Licences (under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997), Controlled Activity Permits (under the Water Management Act 2000), collation of data and completion of Section 60 approval documentation (under the Local Government Act 1993), and referrals to the Minister for Environment (under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999).
Members of our team are also Accredited Assessors under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, with experience in application of the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) for public and private projects throughout NSW.
Environmental Management and monitoring:
We can work with your appointed contractor, or independently, to prepare compliant, logical Construction Environmental Management and Operation Environmental Management Plans (CEMPs and OEMPs). We offer site supervision to check ongoing compliance against approval documentation, as well as fauna spotter-catcher services, and pre-clearing surveys.