30Ecosystem assessment

30 Ecosystem assessment

Note: The ecosystem assessment must be done by a suitably qualified person—see subsection 26(5).

Assessment of each activity area (1) As part of the SSA, the project proponent must do the following for each activity area: (a) identify and describe the reference ecosystem or ecosystems for the activity area in accordance with Division 2.8; (b) for each reference ecosystem, and for each indicator or sub-indicator, either: (i) select the appropriate benchmark value from the Approved benchmark source list (if it gives one that is appropriate); or (ii) establish a benchmark value in accordance with Schedule 2; (c) establish permanent sampling plots for the activity area in accordance with section 2 of Schedule 5; (d) take 6 photos of each permanent sampling plot in accordance with section 3 of Schedule 5: (e) determine the value of each indicator for the ecosystem condition of the activity area (the starting value of the indicator) in accordance with sections 5 to 10 of Schedule 5; (f) determine the starting ecosystem condition state of the activity area in accordance with section 11 in Schedule 5. Note: The whole of the activity area must have the same starting ecosystem condition state—see subsection 22(8). Starting scores and forecast scores for each activity area (2) As part of the SSA, the project proponent must calculate the following scores for each activity area, in accordance with Schedule 8: (a) the starting ecosystem condition score; (b) the forecast ecosystem condition score; (c) the starting contribution to biodiversity persistence score; (d) the forecast contribution to biodiversity persistence score; Aggregate scores and aggregate forecast scores for the replanting project (3) As part of the SSA, the project proponent must calculate the following scores for the replanting project, in accordance with Schedule 8: (a) the starting aggregate ecosystem condition score for the project; (b) the forecast aggregate ecosystem condition score for the project; (c) the starting aggregate contribution to biodiversity persistence score for the project; (d) the forecast aggregate contribution to biodiversity persistence score for the project.