Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016

This section applies to environmental assessment under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

For the purposes of Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, an activity is to be regarded as an activity likely to significantly affect the environment if it is likely to significantly affect threatened species.

In that case, the environmental impact statement under Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 is to include or be accompanied by—

a species impact statement, or

if the proponent so elects—a biodiversity development assessment report.

If the likely significant effect on threatened species is the only likely significant effect on the environment, an environmental impact statement may be dispensed with and Part 5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 applies as if references to an environmental impact statement were references to a species impact statement or biodiversity development assessment report.