Product Overview

Summary: This Biodiversity Considerations Standard Operating Procedure provides a clear, practical framework for identifying, assessing and managing biodiversity impacts across your operations and projects in Australia. It helps organisations integrate ecological considerations into everyday decision-making, supporting regulatory compliance, social licence to operate and long‑term environmental performance.

The Biodiversity Considerations Standard Operating Procedure is designed for Australian organisations that interact with land, water and natural ecosystems, whether through construction, infrastructure, mining, agriculture, utilities, property development or ongoing site operations. It sets out a structured, repeatable approach for considering biodiversity values at every key stage – from early planning and site selection through to design, construction, operation and decommissioning. The SOP translates technical ecological requirements, planning approvals and corporate sustainability commitments into clear, actionable steps that can be followed by project teams and operational staff.

By implementing this SOP, businesses can systematically identify sensitive habitats, threatened species, and ecological communities that may be affected by their activities, and then apply the hierarchy of avoid, minimise, restore and offset. This reduces the risk of non‑compliance with environmental approvals, costly project delays, reputational damage and community objections. It also supports broader ESG and sustainability goals by embedding biodiversity into risk management, procurement, contractor management and reporting processes. The document is written in practical, WHS‑aligned language so it integrates smoothly with existing management systems and site procedures, while still reflecting the latest expectations under Australian environmental and planning frameworks.

Key Benefits

• Ensure biodiversity risks and opportunities are consistently identified and assessed across all projects and operations.
• Reduce the likelihood of regulatory non‑compliance, project delays and legal challenges related to flora, fauna and habitat impacts.
• Demonstrate due diligence and support approvals processes with clear, documented biodiversity decision‑making.
• Integrate biodiversity considerations into design, procurement, contractor management and site planning activities.
• Strengthen ESG performance and corporate sustainability reporting through structured biodiversity management and monitoring.

Who is this for?

• Environmental Managers
• Sustainability Managers
• HSE Managers
• Project Managers
• Construction Managers
• Operations Managers
• Development Planners
• Environmental Advisors and Officers
• Facilities Managers
• Consulting Ecologists

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose, Scope and Objectives
• 2.0 Definitions and Key Biodiversity Concepts
• 3.0 Legislative and Regulatory Context (Commonwealth, State and Territory)
• 4.0 Roles, Responsibilities and Competency Requirements
• 5.0 Biodiversity Risk Identification and Screening Process
• 6.0 Site Assessment, Surveys and Use of Ecological Specialists
• 7.0 Impact Assessment and Risk Evaluation Methodology
• 8.0 Mitigation Hierarchy: Avoid, Minimise, Restore, Offset
• 9.0 Integration with Project Planning, Design and Approvals
• 10.0 Construction and Operational Controls for Biodiversity Protection
• 11.0 Contractor and Supplier Requirements for Biodiversity Management
• 12.0 Monitoring, Reporting and Adaptive Management
• 13.0 Incident Management and Non‑conformance Handling (Biodiversity Impacts)
• 14.0 Stakeholder and Community Engagement on Biodiversity Issues
• 15.0 Documentation, Recordkeeping and Data Management
• 16.0 Training, Awareness and Communication
• 17.0 Review, Audit and Continuous Improvement of the SOP

Legislation & References

• Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
• Relevant State and Territory environmental and planning legislation (e.g. Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (NSW), Nature Conservation Act 2014 (ACT), Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (VIC))
• AS/NZS ISO 14001:2016 Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
• AS ISO 31000:2018 Risk management – Guidelines
• EPBC Act Environmental Offsets Policy and associated guidance
• State and Territory Biodiversity and Native Vegetation Management Policies and Guidelines
• ISO 14055-1:2017 Guidelines for establishing good practices for combating land degradation and desertification