What is a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR)?

A BDAR is a formal assessment under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 that evaluates the potential impacts of a proposed development on native vegetation, threatened species, and their habitats. It must be prepared by a BAM-accredited assessor and is required when development triggers the Biodiversity Offset Scheme thresholds.

When do I need a flora and fauna assessment in NSW?

A flora and fauna assessment is typically required by your local council as part of a Development Application (DA) when your proposed development may impact native vegetation, threatened species, or ecological communities. This requirement comes from the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

What triggers the NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme?

The Biodiversity Offset Scheme is triggered when a development exceeds area clearing thresholds based on the minimum lot size of the property, or when the land is identified on the Biodiversity Values Map. The area thresholds range from 0.25 hectares for smaller lots to 1 hectare for lots over 40 hectares.

How much does an ecologist cost in Sydney and NSW?

Ecological consulting fees in NSW vary depending on the type and complexity of assessment. A basic flora and fauna assessment for a small residential DA may start from around $3,000-$5,000, while a full BDAR for a larger development can range from $8,000 to $30,000 or more. Contact Ecological Solutions on 0434 848 732 for a free quote.

What is the difference between a BDAR and a Flora and Fauna Assessment?

A Flora and Fauna Assessment (FFA) is a broader ecological assessment under the EP&A Act using the Five-Part Test of Significance. A BDAR is a more rigorous, standardised assessment under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 using the Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM), required when the Biodiversity Offset Scheme is triggered.

How long does an ecological assessment take?

A standard flora and fauna assessment typically takes 3-6 weeks. BDARs generally take 6-12 weeks due to more intensive survey requirements. Targeted threatened species surveys may require seasonal timing and can take several months. Contact us early in your project planning.

What is PCT vegetation mapping?

PCT (Plant Community Type) mapping identifies and classifies native vegetation on a site using the NSW BioNet Vegetation Classification system. Each PCT is defined by its characteristic plant species composition, structure, and landscape position. PCT identification is essential for BDAR assessments.

Do I need an ecologist for my development application?

You likely need an ecologist if your development site contains native vegetation, is near bushland or waterways, is on or near land mapped as having biodiversity values, or if your local council requires an ecological assessment. Most councils in Sydney, Hunter, Illawarra, and Central Coast regions require ecological input.

Ecological Consulting in Hornsby Shire: Flora and Fauna Surveys in Sydney’s Bushland Shire

Guy Smith
Jul 2
3 min read

Hornsby Shire is known as “the Bushland Shire” for good reason. More than 2,000 hectares of council-managed bushland, framed by the Berowra Valley and Ku-ring-gai Chase, make it one of the most ecologically significant local government areas in metropolitan Sydney. That natural richness is also what makes development here more complex: if you are planning a project on a vegetated lot, biodiversity will very likely shape your development application. This guide explains what landowners, developers, project managers and councils need to know about ecological approvals in Hornsby.

Why biodiversity matters more in Hornsby

Hornsby supports more than 1,000 native plant species and over 300 native vertebrate animals across bushland that adjoins the 3,884-hectare Berowra Valley National Park. Much of the shire sits on the Hornsby Plateau, where higher rainfall and sandstone-derived soils support vegetation communities found in very few other places. For a development site, that means native vegetation is not merely a landscaping consideration — it can be a listed threatened ecological community subject to both State and Commonwealth protection.

Threatened ecological communities you may encounter

Three vegetation communities of particular importance occur in Hornsby. Blue Gum High Forest is listed as critically endangered and now survives in only a handful of LGAs — Hornsby, Ku-ring-gai and The Hills — after roughly 96% of its original extent was cleared. Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, also critically endangered, persists as scattered remnants. Duffys Forest Ecological Community, listed as endangered, occurs on the shire’s sandstone ridgetops. Where any of these are present or likely on a site, they will materially affect what can be built and what level of assessment is required.

Local wildlife and habitat features

Hornsby’s bushland corridors provide habitat for significant fauna, including the Powerful Owl (listed as vulnerable in NSW), gang-gang and glossy black-cockatoos, and a range of hollow-dependent species. Large, old hollow-bearing trees are a particular flag: they take well over a century to form and are weighted heavily in ecological assessments. Riparian corridors along Berowra Creek and the Hawkesbury River, together with connectivity to the surrounding national parks, mean even a modest clearing footprint can have consequences that extend beyond the site boundary.

The planning framework: Hornsby LEP 2013 and the BC Act

Development in the shire is governed by the Hornsby Local Environmental Plan 2013, which contains terrestrial biodiversity and riparian land provisions that trigger additional assessment where mapped native vegetation, habitat or watercourses are affected. Overlaying this is the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016. Where a proposal exceeds the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS) thresholds — through the area of native vegetation cleared or by mapping on the Biodiversity Values Map — a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) prepared by an accredited assessor is generally required. Below those thresholds, a flora and fauna assessment addressing the five-part test of significance is usually needed to accompany a development application.

How Ecological Solutions can help

Getting the ecology right early is the single best way to protect a project’s timeline. Ecological Solutions provides flora and fauna surveys, biodiversity assessments, BDARs, ecological constraints assessments and threatened species assessments across Hornsby Shire and the wider Sydney region. Engaging an ecologist before a site layout is finalised means constraints such as Blue Gum High Forest, hollow-bearing trees or riparian buffers can be identified and designed around, rather than emerging as costly surprises during council assessment. Seasonal survey timing also matters — some threatened species can only be detected at certain times of year, so building this into your program helps avoid delays.

Get in Touch

Planning a development, subdivision or clearing works in Hornsby Shire? Talk to Ecological Solutions about a survey or assessment scoped to your site. Our team can advise on the approvals your project needs and prepare the reports that councils and consent authorities expect. Contact us today for a consultation or quote:

Email: info@ecologicalsolutions.com.au

Mobile: 0434 848 732

Web: ecologicalsolutions.com.au