Almost all developments, such as roads, houses and airports, have an impact on the environment. EISs are documents that help the government and the general public understand the effects of developments on the environment and to decide whether developments should go ahead. Usually the government will permit developments, but they will insist on various modifications and safeguards designed to protect the environment.
In recent years, EISs have looked increasingly at biodiversity. Most EISs will include a description of major habitats and a list of the plant and animal species present. EISs also pay particular attention to the presence of threatened species which, in New South Wales, are listed in the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Where the effects are considered significantly harmful to threatened species, an additional document, the Species Impact Statement (SIS), may also be prepared. The focus of EISs and SISs is still mainly on vertebrate animals and vascular plants because, at the moment, few invertebrate species are listed as threatened. Fish and aquatic invertebrates are addressed by separate legislation altogether.
Most developers employ a consultant to prepare an EIS. The consultant usually employs an ecologist to prepare the sections relating to biodiversity. The Australian Museum has assisted in the preparation of a number of EISs and has prepared many SISs.
While EISs help us to understand how developments may affect some aspects of biodiversity, there is still a long way to go before these documents address all aspects of biodiversity. This is because large EISs, such as the EIS for Sydney's second airport at Badgery's Creek, require the employment of many specialists and can be expensive. Also, the time available to write the EIS may be inappropriately short. To gain a proper understanding of biodiversity issues may take many years of study as they can be quite complex, and usually, developers are unwilling to delay the development or spend the large sums required for a thorough EIS. Consequently, an EIS may be prepared by people who do not fully understand the ecology of the area or who have not done enough field-work.
Tim Norman
Macquarie University
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2003
This page: http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/eis.htm
