Environmental impact assessment and environmental management plans
Biodiversity survey and development of survey techniques and performance indicators
Wetland and waterway management
Habitat
restoration and rehabilitation
Ecological landscape and horticultural design
Weed management and specialist studies
Applied research and threatened species recovery plans
Community and stakeholder consultation
Environmental
impact assessment and environmental management plans (infrastructure)
Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) and the formulation of Environmental Management Plans
(EMPs) are internationally recognised procedures for the assessment and protection
of environmental attributes under potential disturbance from a proposed development.
Such procedures require a high level of understanding of ecological processes,
environmental legislation, the incorporation of multidisciplinary data and
dealing with high-profile, controversial issues. Our long-term involvement
with the EIA process began in the early 1980s, with the establishment of Alcoa
Australia's Portland Aluminium Smelter. We have since worked on many large-scale
EIA or related projects, including the Coode Island Chemical Storage relocation
and Very Fast Train route options in Victoria and development of major port
facilities in Malaysia. EA has extensive experience in evaluation of mine
site impacts and rehabilitation, residential and industrial development, waste-water
treatment and ski-field development. The majority of our EMPs are constructed
in accordance with the international AS/NZS ISO 14,000 group of environmental
standards.
Biodiversity
survey and development of survey techniques and performance indicators
Rapid
biodiversity assessments, detailed surveys or the development of survey techniques
are a key aspect of most projects with environmental considerations. Knowledge
of the presence, ecology and conservation status of flora and fauna is fundamental
to ascertaining the ecological sensitivity of an area and formulating measures
to minimise environmental disturbance. Efforts by government and industry
to introduce environmental standards have led, in the last few years, to increasing
consultancies for the development of performance indicators and standards
with which to gauge the success of conservation programs and mitigation strategies
for post-construction ecosystem recovery. EA offers exceptional expertise
in both areas. Staff have been involved in biodiversity surveys for 20 years.
EA has developed rapid habitat assessment criteria which has been used throughout
Victoria and Canberra (ACT), and has also developed performance criteria for
roadside reserve management that has been applied throughout Australia.
Wetland
and waterway management
Wetland management is a global conservation issue. With a diverse range
of biological and socio-economic values, wetlands are the focus of much resource
management. Wetland management requires integration of a number of specialist
ecological skills, including:
* knowledge of the ecology, biology and management of terrestrial and aquatic
flora and vegetation communities;
* knowledge of invasive species, particularly environmental weeds, and the
impacts these have on vegetation communities, fauna habitats and nutrient
cycles;
* the breeding, foraging and roosting requirements of wetland fauna, in particular
waterbirds, migratory waders and shorebirds, and knowledge of international
flyways;
* nutrient flows, water quality, pollution;
* the ability to formulate management strategies that must address a multitude
of values; and,
* a thorough and applied understanding of environmental policy and legislation.
EA has a long and successful track record in wetland management. We are similarly
experienced in wetland design and construction, which requires an understanding
of landscape and horticultural requirements. Constructed wetlands provide
a highly cost-effective option for improving the quality of urban and industrial
waste-waters by removing nutrients, pollutants and sediment loads. 
Such
wetlands can have valuable conservation, recreation and landscape functions.
This emerging discipline is rapidly taking precedence in the controversial
issues of mine-site rehabilitation and other large-scale developments, where
large-scale altering of the environment necessitates the provision of rehabilitated
and constructed habitats for fauna and flora.
Habitat
restoration and rehabilitation
EA has a long history in revegetation programs. Such expertise ensures the
most practical and cost-effective strategies are available to our clients,
satisfying rehabilitation requirements and project budgets. Our designs are
based on the structure and composition of the original vegetation, taking
into account original site conditions, faunal habitat requirements and management
input.
Ecological
landscape and horticultural design
An
extensive background in horticulture, encompassing the taxonomy, ecology,
cultivation and propagation of the Australian flora, enables EA to provide
specialist horticultural expertise to a range of professionals. Services include
technical advice to landscape architects; management of horticultural systems;
landscape and garden design (specialising in native flora); habitat creation
for captive animal populations.
Weed
management and specialist studies
Environmental
weed invasion is a pre-eminent conservation issue throughout the world. As
a pioneer in Australian weed studies, EA has unexcelled knowledge of the theoretical
and practical aspects of weed management, including identification, weed biology
and ecology, and determining impacts on flora, fauna and other environmental
values. We are expert in devising comprehensive weed management and control
strategies, including broad-scale programs, for example the study of willow
distribution and management in the Australian Alps. We have also authored
and published the definitive Environmental Weed Invasions in Victoria - Conservation
and Management Implications, widely recognised as an industry standard.
Applied
research and threatened species recovery plans 
EA has been involved in a wide variety of research and monitoring programs.
We are currently conducting research programs on several endangered plant
species in New South Wales and a nationally endangered frog in the Australian
Alps. Research and monitoring programs have been a fundamental aspect of EA's
track record over the last 13 years and includes experimental design, data
analyses, report presentation and publishing. Perhaps most importantly, our
research is designed for practical application to applied management strategies,
and has led to the production of recovery plans for endangered species which
have been implemented by state and national Australian agencies.
Ecological
fire management
Fire regimes are an integral aspect of land management programs. EA has specialist
skills in the production of fire management plans that address the ecological
requirements of flora and fauna, such as burn frequency. We are routinely
required to make recommendations for fire management in our projects.
Environmental
policy
The interpretation and application of state and national environmental legislation
is essential to most proposed developments. It allows assessment of development
impacts within a legislative and environmental context. Equally important
are international treaties and conventions, which may guide state and national
legislative policy. EA routinely works with state, national and international
policy. In our projects for local government, we are frequently requested
to formulate shire policy and planning scheme guidelines for the environmental
management of areas designated for residential development or other infrastructure.
The development of industry performance measures and environmental policy
is also a regular aspect of our EIA and EMP work, and is often produced in
accordance with AS/NZS ISO 14,000 group standards.
Community
and stakeholder consultation
A key aspect of many of our projects is community and stakeholder consultation.
These take the form of public meetings, consultative committee meetings or
meetings with individual landowners and developers. We frequently undertake
large-scale projects involving the lands or resources of people not directly
involved with, but potentially affected by, a development. In these situations
we are often required by our clients to organise public forums and liaise
with the community throughout a project's duration. Staff are skilled at organising
and hosting such events and ensuring that sensitive community issues and concerns
are addressed.
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