Project Ecologist Services

Frequently asked questions for project ecologists services

What does a project ecologist do?

A project ecologist ensures development and infrastructure projects meet environmental compliance obligations through surveys, fauna relocation, and construction monitoring to protect native species and habitats.

When do I need project ecologist services?

You need a project ecologist when your development has conditions of approval requiring ecological oversight, clearing native vegetation, threatening species impacts, or requiring ongoing environmental monitoring.

What areas do your project ecologists service?

We provide project ecologist services across New South Wales, including Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, South Coast, and all regional NSW locations.

How much do project ecologist services cost?

Project ecologist service costs depend on site complexity, survey scope, and project timeline. Contact us for a free, no-obligation quote tailored to your development needs.

Are your project ecologists licensed?

Yes, our project ecologists hold relevant licences and qualifications in environmental science, ecology, and development assessment under NSW planning and biodiversity legislation.

What is included in a construction environmental management plan (CEMP)?

A CEMP documents environmental controls and monitoring protocols during construction, including fauna management, noise and dust mitigation, waste management, and unexpected finds procedures.

When should you start working with a project ecologist?

Ideally, stakeholders should engage project ecologist services as soon as their project has been approved. Development and infrastructure projects, especially those involving complex arrangements, are very likely to require various ecological services as part of the conditions of consent attached to the approved Development Application (DA). The sooner project ecologists are brought on board, the sooner they can take the necessary steps to ensure the project adheres to the relevant conditions and remains compliant.

How quickly can a project ecologist provide me with the required reports?

Having worked with many developers, we understand that time is of the essence for your development project. At East Coast Ecology, our dedicated team of project ecologists works quickly to provide you with quotes and timelines to help you budget and plan accordingly.

Depending on the number and type of surveys required, the delivery of the required reports can vary greatly. We will do our best to expedite the process wherever possible, but there are some surveys that will invariably have longer delivery times due to the nature of the species being evaluated.

For example, some protected species can only be reliably evaluated during certain seasonal periods, which can cause unexpected delays. In such cases, our project ecologists make every effort to inform you of these constraints ahead of time.

Why are project ecology services required?

Project ecologists are brought onto development projects by relevant authorities to ensure that the development meets the environmental requirements and preserves the native flora, fauna, and biodiversity values of the land.  

What is a pre-clearing survey and report?

A pre-clearing survey is particularly important in areas where vegetation clearing may impact native animals and sensitive habitats. The survey occurs prior to vegetation removal and includes identification and demarcation of habitat for protected fauna, threatened species identification, and weed mapping across the site. The goal of a pre-clearing survey is to demarcate ecological values and prevent harm to native flora and fauna before clearing begins.

Why are hollow-bearing trees so important?

A hollow-bearing tree is a tree that has a trunk containing hollows, holes, or cavities that make great habitats for native wildlife. The naturally hollowed-out area provides refuge from weather and predators, and safe sites for roosting and breeding. Clearing out or removing hollow-bearing trees can have severe impacts on the wildlife that call these trees home – in fact, loss of hollow-bearing trees is listed as a Key Threatening Process (KTP) under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

As part of project ecology services, East Coast Ecology will monitor, preserve, and salvage hollow trees to maintain these precious habitats. And when development involves the removal of hollow-bearing trees, we can install and monitor nest boxes to replace lost habitats.