Is it time to embrace strategic assessments under the EPBC Act?

Is it time to embrace strategic assessments under the EPBC Act?

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Mat Brooks_1500x934px.jpg
Mat Brook, GHD Technical Director - Environmental Impact Assessment
Australia’s environmental assessment and approval system is under increasing pressure as proponents navigate lengthy assessments, high upfront costs and significant uncertainty. Within this system, strategic assessments were designed as an alternative pathway, allowing governments and proponents to assess the environmental impact of policies, plans and programs upfront, creating a framework for future approvals. However, in practice strategic assessments have been used sparingly over the last decade.

Australia’s environmental assessment and approval system is under increasing pressure as proponents navigate lengthy assessments, high upfront costs and significant uncertainty. 

Within this system, strategic assessments were designed as an alternative pathway, allowing governments and proponents to assess the environmental impact of policies, plans and programs upfront, creating a framework for future approvals. However, in practice strategic assessments have been used sparingly over the last decade. 

GHD's Mat Brook examines whether recent changes to the EPBC Act have made strategic assessments a more realistic option than they have been in the past.  

City buildings in the distance behind a river and dense greenery

Committee for Economic Development of Australia

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GHD es una empresa líder en servicios profesionales que opera en los mercados mundiales de agua, energía y recursos, medio ambiente, infraestructura y edificaciones, y transporte. Comprometidos con la visión de garantizar que el agua, la energía y las comunidades sean sostenibles para las futuras generaciones, GHD ofrece soluciones en consultoría, servicios digitales, ingeniería, arquitectura, medio ambiente y construcción a clientes del sector público y privado. Fundada en 1928 y propiedad de sus trabajadores, GHD cuenta con una red de más de 12.000 profesionales en más de 165 oficinas en cinco continentes.