Now that you know what field assessments you’re working with, it’s time to compare that knowledge against the legislation that covers Australian biodiversity and cultural heritage preservation during infrastructure development. 

The main pieces of legislation that apply in this scenario are:

1. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
2. State-enacted conservation legislation. For example, the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, and NSW’s Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.

For now, we’ll concentrate on the EPBC Act, which is the main environmental protection legislation enacted by the Commonwealth of Australia. 

Have a read of this fact sheet, which summarises the purpose of the EPBC Act, and how it fits into the framework of the environmental assessment process.