6Biodiversity protection

6 Biodiversity protection

6.1 Biodiversity protection

(1) The objective of this clause is to maintain terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, including the following—

(a) protecting native fauna and flora,

(b) protecting the ecological processes necessary for their continued existence,

(c) encouraging the recovery of native fauna and flora and their habitats,

(d) maximising connectivity, and minimising fragmentation, of habitat.

(2) This clause applies to land identified as “High Biodiversity Sensitivity” and “Moderate Biodiversity Sensitivity” on the Natural Resource—Biodiversity Map.

(3) Before determining a development application for development on land to which this clause applies, the consent authority must consider any adverse impact of the proposed development on the following—

(a) native ecological communities,

(b) the habitat of any threatened species, populations or ecological community,

(c) regionally significant species of fauna or flora or habitat,

(d) habitat elements providing connectivity.

(4) Development consent must not be granted to development on land to which this clause applies unless the consent authority is satisfied that—

(a) the development is designed, sited and will be managed to avoid any significant adverse environmental impact, or

(b) if that impact cannot be avoided by adopting feasible alternatives—the development is designed, sited and will be managed to minimise that impact, or

(c) if that impact cannot be minimised—the development will be managed to mitigate that impact.