Agricultural impact assessments are becoming increasingly important to the statutory approvals process for projects affecting agricultural land. They evaluate the potential effects on agricultural resources and enterprises and recommend ways to avoid or minimize adverse impacts. Assessments consider farm-level economic production, land capability, water resource access, regional agricultural production, food systems, and socio-economic effects like changes in agricultural employment.

By including farm-level agronomic assessment and farmer consultation, these studies provide a great opportunity for meaningful stakeholder engagement and collection of data to inform compensation agreements and agricultural rehabilitation productivity targets.

Backed by a network of expert consulting agronomists, we are ideally placed to support your project.

Effective rehabilitation and closure planning is crucial for ensuring that beneficial land uses can be re-established beyond the life of a project and that there are no enduring risks to people and environment.

To achieve this, planning for closure must occur from the outset so that closure risks, opportunities and costs are incorporated into project design and operation. The rehabilitation strategy must be appropriate to the site and environmental setting and tested through rehabilitation trials to demonstrate that the rehabilitation method will result in safe and stable landforms that will achieve the target end land use.

With experience developing strategies and plans across the project life cycle, from initial strategies to site relinquishment, we understand how important robust rehabilitation and closure planning is to the success of your project.

The successful delivery of all projects relies on effective project management with control of scope, schedule, budget, resources and change management. These fundamentals are equally important to environmental impact assessment and regulatory approvals processes which are often complex and usually sit on ‘critical path’ within the broader project delivery schedule.

We have considerable experience acting as project manager (PM) for environmental assessment and approvals work programs, both in consulting and industry, and understand the vital role the ‘approvals PM’ plays within the integrated project delivery team.

Environmental management systems (EMS), supported by environmental management plans (EMPs), provide structure for the management of business and project environmental impacts and compliance with environmental legislation and approvals.

Drawing on our background in environmental assessment, approvals and operations environmental management we understand the importance of fit-for-purpose EMS and EMPs that prioritise the management of key environmental risks and regulatory compliance whilst maintaining appropriate operational flexibility. As experienced auditors, we can also help ensure these tools are in place and effective.