Ecological Constraints Assessment (ECA)
An Ecological Constraints Assessment (ECA), also known as a Due Diligence Assessment, provides early-stage strategic advice on the ecological values and potential development constraints of a site. It is typically the first step in understanding what environmental approvals your project may require and what costs to factor in.
When Should You Get an ECA?
An ECA is most valuable before you purchase land, before you commit to a development layout, or at the very beginning of the planning process. It helps you make informed decisions early — before significant investment in design, engineering, or DA preparation.
It's particularly useful for developers assessing a potential acquisition, landowners exploring subdivision or rezoning, planning consultants scoping a new project, and councils or government agencies evaluating land-use options.
What's Covered
Our Ecological Constraints Assessments include a comprehensive desktop review of the BioNet Atlas, NSW Vegetation Information System, Biodiversity Values Map, SEED mapping, and aerial imagery, a site walkover to ground-truth desktop findings and assess on-ground ecological conditions, identification of potential threatened species, ecological communities, and habitat features, an assessment of whether the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme is likely to be triggered, and a clear summary of ecological constraints with a risk rating and recommendations for the next steps.
Why Start with an ECA
Skipping the constraints assessment is one of the most common and costly mistakes in the development process. An ECA gives you a realistic picture of the ecological issues on a site before you're locked into a design. It can save you significant time and money by identifying whether a full Flora & Fauna Assessment or BDAR will be needed, highlighting areas of the site that should be avoided or retained, informing a development layout that minimises ecological impact and offset costs, and flagging any showstoppers before they become expensive problems.
Contact us for a fast, cost-effective constraints assessment on your site.
Related Services & Locations
An Ecological Constraints Assessment helps determine if a BDAR is required and often leads to a Flora & Fauna Assessment. Related services include Vegetation Management Plans and Targeted Threatened Species Surveys.
We provide this service across NSW including Sydney, Western Sydney, the Hunter & Central Coast, Illawarra & South Coast, Blue Mountains, Central West NSW, and the Mid-North Coast.