Strategic Assessment: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

A strategic assessment has been prepared to examine how Transport’s commitments and related procedures, for environmental impact assessment and decision-making, address nationally listed threatened species, ecological communities and listed migratory species.

Following public exhibition of the strategic assessment, Transport submitted the final assessment to the Federal Department of the Environment in June 2015, for its evaluation against requirements of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). 

The strategic assessment was approved by the Federal Minister for the Environment in September 2015. 


 Timeline 

  • 24 September 2015 – Final approval of the Transport Strategic Assessment under the EPBC Act from the Federal Minister for the Environment. 
  • 7 September 2015 – The Strategic Assessment was endorsed under the EPBC Act.
  • June 2015 – Final Strategic Assessment documents submitted to the Federal Department of the Environment for evaluation.
  • 13 February 2015 - public exhibition of draft Program Report and draft Strategic Assessment Report ended. 
  • 18 December 2014 – public exhibition of draft Program Report and draft Strategic Assessment commences. 
  • August 2014 - Jacobs Group, together with Eco Logical Australia, appointed to provide expert environmental planning and biodiversity advice for the strategic assessment. 

Background 

Some road and traffic projects carried out by Transport previously required environmental assessment under both Division 5.1 of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) and the Federal EPBC Act. These are projects that are not classified to be of state significance under the EP&A Act. 

The strategic assessment provides a mechanism to improve efficiencies in this process and avoid duplication. It ensures robust processes are in place during the planning and assessment of these activities to protect and avoid unacceptable impacts on nationally listed threatened species, ecological communities and listed migratory species. 

The strategic assessment supports other existing NSW and Commonwealth government initiatives to deliver streamlined and more-efficient environmental assessments and approvals for state significant infrastructure projects. 

Objectives 

The final strategic assessment, approved by the Federal Minister for the Environment, ensures that Transport’s road and traffic activities, currently assessed under Division 5.1 of the EP&A Act, will no longer require an additional Commonwealth approval. This will: 

  • improve efficiencies in decision-making by avoiding duplication 
  • ensure standards in environmental assessment and protection will continue to be maintained. 

Community engagement 

The strategic assessment was on public exhibition from 18 December 2014 until 13 February 2015. Comments, received during the public exhibition period, were considered prior to finalising the strategic assessment and provision of the final assessment to the Federal Department of the Environment for evaluation. 

General information regarding strategic assessments under the EPBC Act is available on the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water  website. 

Documents 

Strategic assessment - May 2015 (PDF, 1.4 MB) 

Agreement - September 2014 (PDF, 7.89 MB)

More information 

For more information on this initiative contact: 

Julie.Ravallion@transport.nsw.gov.au