Planning and Approvals

Cumberland Ecology’s experienced ecological consultants seamlessly manage clients through complex planning and approvals processes under Local, State and Territory and Commonwealth legislation.

We clearly understand all relevant statutory and policy frameworks and have vast experience in consultation with all levels of government to streamline the planning and approvals process for our clients.

We offer technical, strategic, and pragmatic expertise in terrestrial and aquatic ecology and GIS. And we routinely work within multi-disciplinary planning and design teams to solve complex planning and approval issues.

Our experience embraces small to large scale projects across a variety of sectors including urban development, infrastructure, renewable energy, mining and resources, government and NSW Land and Environment Court.

We routinely work on:

❖ NSW approvals under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act), including:
     ➢ Part 4 Local Development approvals, including residential subdivision and development and commercial development
     ➢ Part 5 Activity approvals
     ➢ State Significant Development (SSD)
     ➢ Planning Proposals
❖ Federal approvals under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), including controlled actions
❖ Controlled activity approvals under the NSW Water Management Act 2000 (WM Act)
❖ Independent Environmental Audits (IEA) of biodiversity conditions of consent
❖ Ecological peer reviews

Cumberland Reports
Our capabilities include:
Test of Significance (ToS / 5-part Test)
Ecological Constraints Analysis (ECA)
Flora and Fauna Assessment (FFA)
Ecological Assessment (EA)
Ecological Impact Assessment (EIA)
Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR)
Biodiversity Certification Assessment Report (BCAR)
Species Impact Statement (SIS)
Koala Assessment Report (KAR)
Biodiversity Offset Strategy (BOS)
EPBC Act approvals documents, including:

  • EPBC Act Referral
  • Preliminary Documentation (PD)
  • Public Environment Report (PER)
  • Strategic Assessment

Our diverse specialist team has added significant value to large planning proposals and projects. These include sites with multi-layered legislation for riparian lands and wetlands, and in considering State Environmental Planning Policies (SEPPs).

Our staff are up to date with policies and guidelines that affect biodiversity assessments, including regional specific documents.
We are experienced and successful in presenting information to government agencies to manage the approval process, and we are expert in negotiating positive outcomes.

Cumberland Ecology has earned a reputation for being the ‘go-to’ consultancy for clients working with a range of government agencies, due to our excellent relationships and high-quality ecological assessments.