Services

At 28 South Environmental, we offer a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients.

Our expertise spans across various disciplines, allowing us to deliver integrated solutions and provide valuable insights to drive project success. From strategic planning, expert advice and due diligence assessment to ecological surveys, environmental assessments and permits and approvals, we have the skills and experience to navigate the complexities of any project. Discover how our services can facilitate your development objectives.

EPBC Act referrals, assessment & approvals

We have an intimate knowledge of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) assessment and approval process and have successfully guided many of our clients’ projects to approvals under the Act. We are familiar with the Act’s offset requirements and coordinate offset strategies that are cost-effective and minimise ongoing management obligation.

Most importantly though, we understand when there is no requirement for a project to be assessed under the Act, or when minor changes to a proposal might achieve this outcome. Carefully avoiding the Act’s assessment and approval requirements is a prudent (and achievable) course of action for many projects.

State & local government approvals & permits

We have a highly developed knowledge of State and Local Government environmental planning instruments in Queensland and New South Wales, and experience in Victoria.
We have an excellent track record of facilitating approvals and finding solutions for challenging projects; for example, those in environmentally sensitive areas, those with complex approval pathways, and those subject to community interest.

Environmental impact assessments

We have substantial experience in the management, coordination and authorship of multi-disciplinary environment impact assessment, including as required under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, Planning Act 2016, State Development and Planning Works Organisation Act 1971 and the EPBC Act.

We also support NSW environmental assessment processes, including Reviews of Environmental Factors, Environmental Impact Statements and supporting technical inputs for projects requiring assessment under the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and other relevant environmental legislation.

Expert witness (QLD & NSW)

We provide expert witness services in the Queensland Planning and Environment Court, Queensland Land Court, and NSW Land and Environment Court. We have advised on residential and industrial development, tourism and ecotourism, recreation, rural development, quarrying and infrastructure projects. We also have significant experience in advising on land clearing prosecutions. We have advised on more than 80 matters.

Biodiversity offsets

The requirement for biodiversity offsets can significantly impact a project’s viability. We ensure our clients understand this potential liability at the due diligence stage.

We have a comprehensive knowledge of biodiversity offset principles, and of applicable legislation at the Commonwealth, State and Local Government levels. We coordinate offset strategies that are cost-effective and minimise ongoing management obligation. We can also project manage on-ground offset delivery.

We work closely with our clients to identify latent offset opportunities within their landholdings, devise offset land banking strategies, and actively market offset opportunities within our broader client circle.

Our Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) accredited assessors have experience working with the Biodiversity Offset Scheme (BOS) and calculating both ecosystem and species credit obligations for development in NSW.

Ecological surveys & assessments

We coordinate ecological survey and assessment for projects in a wide range of environmental and development settings in Queensland and New South Wales. We have an intimate knowledge of applicable ecological assessment guidelines, and maintain appropriate survey permits.

In NSW, our teams complete Biodiversity Assessment Reports (BARs) and Biodiversity Development Assessment Reports (BDARs) for Part 4 and Part 5 developments to meet statutory requirements.

Our considerable experience allows us to accurately assess the most complex and sensitive environments and advise on values and risks with confidence.

Strategic planning & development

We assist clients to identify NSW approval pathways, environmental constraints, planning risks and opportunities during early project shaping, master planning and development feasibility, helping to shape each project around its major planning and environmental constraints.

When a project’s general form and character are understood, we clearly articulate the approvals pathway and timeframes, the challenges that are likely to be met, and the strategies to overcome them. Early consultation with our team is key to ensuring an efficient approval pathway.

At the start of a project we seek to understand your vision and aspiration, and then work with your design team to shape that around the major environmental constraints. When a project’s general form and character are understood, we clearly articulate the approvals pathway and timeframes, the challenges that are likely to be met, and the strategies to overcome them. Early consultation with our team is key to ensuring an efficient approval pathway.

Due Diligence Advice

We provide rapid and comprehensive due diligence advice on planning and environmental risks to your project that may arise under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, State legislation, and Local Government planning schemes.

For NSW development sites, our due diligence advice can identify key planning and environmental risks, approval triggers, biodiversity constraints and potential offset liabilities before clients commit to acquisition, design or lodgement

Our advice is pragmatic and backed by 35 years of practical experience. We explain risk in a concise, non-technical manner so that it can be readily understood by our clients and their financiers.

We provide rapid and comprehensive due diligence advice on environmental risks to your project that may arise under the Commonwealth EPBC Act, State legislation, and Local Government planning schemes.

Our advice is pragmatic and backed by 35 years of practical experience. We explain risk in a concise, non-technical manner so that it can be readily understood by our clients and their financiers.

Management plans

We prepare management plans that demonstrate how environmental management commitments made at a high-level approval stage will be practically achieved at the construction stage, such as:

  • Vegetation management plans
  • Fauna management plans
  • Species management plans
  • Rehabilitation management plans
  • Rehabilitation management plans
  • Construction environmental management plans
    We work collaboratively and pragmatically with construction teams to resolve design conflicts and have been a valued team member on a wide range of construction projects.