Project – Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) /Flora and Fauna Report and Biodiversity Values Map Review
Anderson Environmental was recently engaged to undertake a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) for a standard residential allotment which was undertaking a small extension in Epping. The trigger for the Biodiversity Development Assessment Report was the Biodiversity Values Map as the development would disturb a mapped biodiversity area. This can be seen as the pink area on the map below at the back of the red development area.

Anderson Environmental Ecologists attended the site and mapped out the vegetation and found that there was an inaccuracy in the Biodiversity Values Map. As such we undertook a standard Flora and Fauna Assessment including the required Five Part Tests and this was used to support a Biodiversity Values Map Review. This resulted in an amendment to the Biodiversity Values Map to reflect the vegetation extent and as such resulted in the mapped biodiversity being removed from the subject site. The reply regarding this site is shown below stating that the map review has resulted in the removal of all Biodiversity Values on the property.

This therefore made the development for the client much easier and less costly. It is not uncommon for there to be in accuracies in the Biodiversity Values Map. The reason for this is that the mapping is generally undertaken through the use of aerial and or satellite images. Selecting and defining the extent of biodiversity as a desktop process does sometimes lead to inaccuracies which sometimes results in more or less biodiversity being mapped than is actually present on some sites. Overall the Biodiversity Values Map is quite accurate however with smaller sites any slight inaccuracy in the mapping is exacerbated. As in this example this can sometimes mean that mapped biodiversity may appear to be impacted based on evaluation of the mapping layer however when a detailed Ecological Assessment of the site is undertaken this may be found to be inaccurate.

We have undertaken Ecological Assessments since 1992 and are Qualified Ecologists and Certified Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) assessors. We are also Certified Practising Ecological Consultants with experience assessing a range of projects from large subdivisions for both private and government developments, linear project corridors such as roadways pipelines and transmission lines, quarries and mines, Wind farms and a range of critical infrastructure projects.