Tree Survey specialises in preparing Arboricultural Impact Assessments (AIA) and Tree Protection Plans (TPP) as part of a Review of Environmental Factors (REF). A Review of Environmental Factors (REF) is a vital process in New South Wales to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of proposed development projects.
The purpose of a REF is to evaluate the potential impacts of a proposed development on the environment, social aspects, and economic considerations. This assessment helps regulatory authorities make informed decisions about whether to approve or deny a development proposal.
The REF process involves several steps:
- Project Proposal: The proponent (developer or project initiator) submits a proposal for a development project to the relevant regulatory authority.
- Scoping: The regulatory authority outlines the scope of environmental factors that need to be considered in the REF, including potential impacts on areas like ecology, arboriculture, heritage, traffic, and noise.
- Environmental Assessment: The proponent conducts a thorough assessment of the potential impacts of the project in accordance with the scope provided. This assessment can involve studies, data collection, and consultation with stakeholders.
- Preparation of REF: Based on the environmental assessment, the proponent prepares a Review of Environmental Factors document. This document outlines the potential impacts of the project, proposed mitigation measures, and strategies to minimize adverse effects.
- Public Consultation: The REF document is typically made available for public review and comment for a specific period. This allows the public, community groups, and relevant stakeholders to provide feedback on the proposed development and its potential impacts.
- Regulatory Decision: After considering public feedback and the information provided in the REF document, the regulatory authority makes a decision regarding whether to approve the project, request modifications, or deny approval. This decision is based on the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts of the development.
- Approval Conditions: If approved, the regulatory authority may attach conditions to the approval to ensure that the project is carried out in a way that minimizes its impacts and adheres to certain environmental and community standards.
The REF process encourages transparency, accountability, and well-informed decision-making, ensuring projects consider environmental concerns and public input. It promotes a balance between development, environmental protection, and community welfare in NSW.
Our involvement in these projects includes:
- Surveying and assessing the existing trees.
- Preparing detailed georeferenced tree layers in DWG or SHP format.
- Acquiring and analyzing the relevant drawings including civil engineering, hydraulic, stormwater, wastewater, electrical, and earthworks (cut and fill).
- Digitising the project impact footprint using the relevant drawings.
- Detailed analysis of tree impacts by comparing the tree protection zones (TPZ) of existing trees to the proposed impact footprint.
- Studying the impacts of the proposal and determining which trees can be successfully retained and which trees must be removed.
- Preparing comprehensive tree protection plans for trees that will be retained.
All work conducted on these projects is drafted using spatial software. This means all tree data, including the tree map layers (tree locations, TPZ, SRZ, etc.), can be exported as georeferenced SHP or DWG files for seamless integration into existing project models (SHP/CAD/DWG).