Project Ecologist Services

Frequently asked questions for project ecologists services

When should you start working with a project ecologist?

Ideally, stakeholders should engage in project ecology services as soon as a project enters the design phase. Development projects, especially ones involving complex arrangements are very likely to require multiple ecology surveys as part of the application requirements for developmental approval (DA) — the sooner project ecologists are brought on board to the team the sooner they can take the necessary steps to prepare the required reports for a smooth and early DA submission.

Involving an ecologist after the design stage is also possible, but doing so may result in more difficulty in making changes to development plans from the survey results.

How quickly can a project ecologist provide me with the required reports?

Having worked with many developers, we understand that time is of the essence for your development project. At East Coast Ecology, our dedicated team of project ecologists works quickly to provide you with quotes and timelines to help you budget and plan accordingly.

Depending on the number and type of surveys required, the delivery of the required reports can vary greatly. We will do our best to expedite the process wherever possible, but there are some surveys that will invariably have longer delivery times due to the nature of the species being evaluated.

For example, some protected species can only be reliably evaluated during certain seasonal periods, which can cause unexpected delays. In such cases, our project ecologists make every effort to inform you of these constraints ahead of time.

Why are project ecology services required?

Project ecologists are brought onto development projects by relevant authorities to ensure that the development meets the environmental requirements and preserves the native flora, fauna, and biodiversity values of the land.  

Development Applications (DA’s) will often necessitate the expertise of an ecologist to determine what needs to be preserved on the land. In cases where biodiversity values are recognised at the property, an ecologist may be required to undertake an environmental impact assessment report, biodiversity development assessment report, or flora and fauna assessment report to assess the land and environment, and make recommendations to the development project to protect and conserve any potential threats to the native landscape.

What is a pre-clearing survey and report?

A pre-clearing survey refers to the monitoring and assessment of a landscape prior to development, and is particularly important in areas where vegetation clearing may impact native animals and sensitive habitats. The survey will occur prior to vegetation removal and will include flora and fauna assessments, threatened species, and any habitats present on the site. The goal of a pre-clearing survey is to monitor and report on any prevent harm to native flora and fauna prior to clearing itself.

Why are hollow-bearing trees so important?

A hollow-bearing tree is a tree that has a trunk containing hollows, holes, or cavities that make great habitats for native wildlife. The naturally hollowed-out area provides refuge from weather and predators, and safe sites for roosting and breeding. Clearing out or removing hollow-bearing trees can have severe impacts on the wildlife that call these trees home – in fact, loss of hollow-bearing trees is listed as a Key Threatening Process (KTP) under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

As part of project ecology services, East Coast Ecology will monitor, preserve, and salvage hollow trees to maintain these precious habitats. And when development involves the removal of hollow-bearing trees, we can install and monitor nest boxes to replace lost habitats.