Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual …

1 Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual . Stage 1. 2018 State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage With the exception of photographs, the State of NSW and Office of Environment and Heritage are pleased to allow this material to be reproduced in whole or in part for educational and non-commercial use, provided the meaning is unchanged and its source, publisher and authorship are acknowledged. Specific permission is required for the reproduction of photographs. The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has compiled this report in good faith, exercising all due care and attention. No representation is made about the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information in this publication for any particular purpose. OEH shall not be liable for any damage which may occur to any person or organisation taking action or not on the basis of this publication. Readers should seek appropriate advice when applying the information to their specific needs.

2 All content in this publication is owned by OEH and is protected by Crown Copyright, unless credited otherwise. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International (CC BY ), subject to the exemptions contained in the licence. The legal code for the licence is available at Creative Commons. OEH asserts the right to be attributed as author of the original material in the following manner: State of New South Wales and Office of Environment and Heritage 2018. Published by: Office of Environment and Heritage 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney NSW 2000. PO Box A290, Sydney South NSW 1232. Phone: +61 2 9995 5000 (switchboard). Phone: 1300 361 967 (OEH and national parks enquiries). TTY users: phone 133 677, then ask for 1300 361 967. Speak and listen users: phone 1300 555 727, then ask for 1300 361 967. Email: Website: Report pollution and environmental incidents Environment Line: 131 555 (NSW only) or See also ISBN 978-1-925753-59-2. OEH 2018/0276. May 2018.

3 Contents List of figures iv List of tables iv Abbreviations v Introduction 1. NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme 1. Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual 1. Stage 1: Biodiversity Assessment 3. Introduction to Stage 1 3. Resources 3. Use of more appropriate local data 4. Biodiversity values excluded from Stage 1 Assessment 4. Documenting Stage 1 outcomes 4. Part 1: Assessing landscape features 6. Requirements for the BAR 6. Identify landscape features 7. Part 2: Assessing native vegetation, threatened ecological communities and vegetation integrity 12. Requirements for the BAR 12. Native vegetation cover 13. Stratify native vegetation 13. Vegetation integrity Assessment (site condition) 23. Part 3: Assessing habitat suitability for threatened species 33. Requirements for the BAR 33. Identifying habitat suitability for threatened species 35. Biodiversity risk weighting 42. Prescribed impacts 42. Appendix A Websites and online resources referred to in Stage 1 45.

4 Appendix B Glossary of terms 47. Appendix C Sample field data sheet for vegetation survey 52. iii List of figures Figure 1 Example of subject land with 1500 m buffer (scale 1:25,000) 9. Figure 2 Example of linear subject land with 500 m buffer (scale 1:10,000) 10. Figure 3 Continuous vegetation zones on a stewardship site (scale 1:10,000) 17. Figure 4 Continuous and discontinuous vegetation zones on a development site (scale 1:10,000) 18. Figure 5 Discontinuous zones on a stewardship site (scale 1:10,000) 19. Figure 6 Vegetation zones on a major project site (scale 1:10,000) 20. Figure 7 Mapped vegetation zones and patches on a development site (scale 1:6,000) 22. Figure 8 Plot layout to be used for site Assessment 26. Figure 9 Cumberland Plain land snail Meridolum corneovirens species polygon 41. Figure 10 Eucalyptus aggregata species polygon 41. Figure vegetation classification hierarchy 50. List of tables Table 1 Minimum number of plots required per zone (copy of Table 4 from Paragraph of the BAM) 23.

5 Table 2 Growth form groups and attributes used to assess the composition, structure and function components of vegetation integrity 25. Table 3 Worked example of composition condition score calculation 29. Table 4 Worked example of structure condition score calculation 29. Table 5 Tree stem size diversity scores (copy of Table 17 from the BAM) 30. Table 6 Worked example of function condition score calculation 30. Table 7 Criteria for identifying ecosystem and species credit species at a site 35. Table 8 Example of identification of prescribed impacts on site 44. Table Biodiversity credit classes and associated general definitions for application in the BAM 48. iv Abbreviations Abbreviation Description AOBV Area of Outstanding Biodiversity Value BAR Biodiversity Assessment Report; includes Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports (BDARs), Biodiversity Certification Assessment Reports (BCARs) and Biodiversity Stewardship Site Assessment Reports (BSSARs).

6 BAM Biodiversity Assessment Method BC Act Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW). BC Regulation Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017 (NSW). BOS Biodiversity Offsets Scheme CEEC Critically endangered ecological community Chief Executive of OEH Chief Executive of the Office of Environment and Heritage Calculator Biodiversity Assessment Method Calculator DIWA Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia DPE NSW Department of Planning and Environment EEC Endangered ecological community EIS Environmental impact statement EP&A Act Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW). EPBC Act Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (C'th). Fisheries NSW Policy Fisheries NSW Policy and guidelines for fish habitat conservation and and Guidelines management LLS Local Land Services LLS Act Local Land Services Act 2013 (NSW). the Manual Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual (this Manual ). MNES Matters of National Environmental Significance OEH Office of Environment and Heritage NSW.

7 PCT Plant community type SEPP State Environmental Planning Policy the Standard Native Vegetation Interim Type Standard 1. TBDC Threatened Biodiversity Data Collection TEC Collective term for threatened ecological communities (VECs, EECs, CEECs). VPA Voluntary planning agreement 1 Sivertsen D 2009, Native Vegetation Interim Type Standard, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water NSW, Sydney. v Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual Introduction NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme The NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (BC Act), and the Biodiversity Conservation Regulation 2017 (BC Regulation), outline the framework for addressing impacts on Biodiversity from development and clearing. The framework requires a proponent to avoid, minimise and offset impacts on Biodiversity from development using the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS). The BOS creates a transparent, consistent and scientifically-based approach to Biodiversity Assessment and offsetting for all types of development that are likely to have a significant impact on Biodiversity .

8 It also establishes Biodiversity stewardship agreements, which are voluntary in-perpetuity agreements entered into by landholders, to secure offset sites. The required Assessment process is outlined in the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM). which is enabled by section of the BC Act. The BAM provides: a consistent Method for the Assessment of Biodiversity values on a proposed stewardship, development, major project or biocertification site guidance on how a proponent can avoid and minimise potential Biodiversity impacts a Method for calculating the number and class of Biodiversity credits that need to be offset to achieve a standard of no net loss' of Biodiversity . The types of development proposals that are assessed using the BAM include: applications for development consent under Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) (other than an application for State Significant Development or an application for a complying development certificate, see section (1) of the BC Act).

9 Applications for development consent for State Significant Development or for approval for State Significant Infrastructure under the EP&A Act (see section (1) of the BC Act). Part 5 activity (where the proponent has elected to obtain a Biodiversity Assessment report under Division 2 of the BC Act (see section (1) of the BC Act)). Biodiversity certification of land (see sections and (1) of the BC Act). applications to clear native vegetation on rural land under Division 6 of Part 5A of the Local Land Services Act 2013 (LLS Act) that do not meet the requirements of allowable activities or the Land Management (Native Vegetation) Code 2017. clearing of native vegetation that exceeds the offset thresholds in urban areas and environmental conservation zones that does not require development consent under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Vegetation in Non-Rural Areas) 2017. Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual Purpose of this Manual The Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual (the Manual ) provides Operational guidance to assist applicants and accredited assessors to apply the BAM.

10 The Manual is a companion document to the BAM which clarifies ambiguities in the Method but does not seek to repeat text in the BAM; therefore, the two documents should be read together. Updates to administrative structures, position titles and data sources are also reflected in the Manual . The Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) Calculator User Guide provides guidance for the operation of the Biodiversity Assessment Method Calculator (the Calculator). 1. Biodiversity Assessment Method Operational Manual Structure of the Manual The Manual is structured in a similar manner to the BAM and is presented in three stages. Stage 1: Biodiversity Assessment is to be used to quantify Biodiversity values on land that is: land proposed as a development site, including for a Part 5 activity land subject to a vegetation clearing proposal which is required to be assessed by BAM. under the NSW LLS Act land proposed to be biocertified land proposed as a stewardship site under a Biodiversity stewardship agreement.