ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT
Ecological assessments that inform your decision-making
Ecological assessments are the foundation for informed decision-making on any development project. They're not just compliance exercises, they're strategic tools that help you understand constraints early, anticipate regulatory hurdles, and design projects that work with biodiversity rather than against it.
What this solves
Ecological Assessments help you to understand ecological constraints early, during feasibility rather than during construction. Know what regulators need to see before investing and make informed design decisions with the full picture.
Our Approach
In just a few weeks, we deliver certainty.
Deliverables include: Assessment reports, impact analysis, spatial mapping, and expert evidence ready for regulatory submission.
1
Site assessment & scoping
Understanding your project context and designing surveys tailored to actual ecological values (not generic surveys)
2
Targeted field surveys
Seasonal data collection across site habitats, using specialist equipment and methods matched to species and regulatory requirements
3
Expert analysis
Specialist software and ecological expertise to identify species, assess values, and evaluate conservation significance
4
Impact & risk assessment
Translating ecological data into what it means for your project: which constraints apply, regulatory implications, and approval pathways
5
Mitigation & management
Practical, evidence-based recommendations for managing identified risks
Why Nature Advisory
We've assessed over 180 diverse sites across Australia, from coastal dunes to alpine grasslands, urban developments to remote mining operations.
Our Senior Ecologists anticipate ecological issues before they emerge and know which regulatory pathways work in your region. More importantly, we don't just identify species, we understand how Commonwealth and state regulators interpret conservation legislation and what evidence they need for approval.
We move beyond constraints to show how to work with them. Recommendations include practical mitigation options, offset strategies and design modifications that regulators seek. And we see you through every stage of the journey - including ongoing compliance.
Specialist team
All advice is grounded in ecological science and tested against real-world project outcomes.
Bernard O’Callaghan
Managing Director
Dr Inga Kulik
Director
Alan Brennan
Director and Principal Ecologist
Chris Armstrong
Team Lead, Property Development and Conservation
Jackson Clerke
Team Lead Operational Monitoring
Dr Kate Callister
Project Manager and Senior Ecologist
Andrew Lewis
Project Manager and Senior Ecologist
Dr Amanda Dare
Senior Project Manager / Zoology Field Team Lead (Vic/Tas)
Solutions frequently delivered to this Sector
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Flora and Fauna Assessment
Comprehensive species and community inventory that documents ecological values at your site, forming the foundation for impact assessment and regulatory approval. You'll need this for statutory approvals, EPBC referrals, offset calculations, and any project requiring detailed biodiversity baseline data.
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Targeted Flora Surveys
Specialist searches for threatened plant species and systematic vegetation surveys tailored to your site's ecology and regulatory requirements. Required when threatened flora is known or likely on or near your site, or when offset requirements need to be calculated.
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Bird and Bat Utilisation Surveys
Activity and distribution surveys that assess how birds and bats use your site seasonally and spatially. Mandatory for wind farms and renewable energy projects, and increasingly required for other infrastructure with potential avian/bat impact.
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Environmental Effects Statements
Comprehensive environmental assessment documents that synthesise ecological and other environmental findings to satisfy statutory approval requirements (typically Victoria). Required for major projects undergoing Environment Effects Act assessment.
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Native Vegetation Assessments
Detailed assessment of vegetation communities, condition, and conservation significance under state planning schemes and EPBC Act, including habitat hectare assessments using DEECA-approved methodology. Essential for land development, infrastructure, and any project affecting native vegetation - determines offset requirements and informs regulatory approvals.
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Targeted Fauna Surveys
Specialist searches for threatened fauna species and systematic habitatsurveys tailored to your site's ecology and regulatory requirements. Required when threatened fauna is known or likely on or near your site.
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Bat Call Analysis
Acoustic monitoring that non-invasively identifies bat species and assesses activity levels, collision risk, and seasonal patterns. Essential for wind farm approvals, mandatory under EPBC Act for Commonwealth-listed bats, and critical for offshore wind assessment.
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Retrospective Impact Assessments
Ecological surveys and analysis conducted in response to unauthroised or non-compliant native vegetation removal. These assessments use on-ground and historical information to understand impacts, quantify ecological losses and review clearing against permit conditions. They can also inform compliance responses and remediation pathways.
Our Projects
Eynesbury Township
Nature Advisory delivered long-term ecological surveys, offset strategy and regulatory approvals to support the staged development of Eynesbury Township while protecting key biodiversity values and threatened species.
Biodiversity Offsets | Growling Grass Frog | Golden Sun Moth | Striped Legless Lizard | Urban Planning and Development
Read more
Golden Plains Wind Farm
Nature Advisory delivered targeted ecological surveys, modelling and regulatory strategy to support biodiversity approvals for the Golden Plains Wind Farm, reducing native vegetation removal by over 60% while enabling project approval.
Brolga Habitat | Native Vegetation Management | Victoria | Wind Energy
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Discuss your ecological assessment needs
Get in touch with our team to discuss how we can help you navigate environmental challenges and deliver practical solutions.
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