This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Runway 30 Hobart Airport - Environmental Management of Changes to Aircraft Operations#2- FOI 24 -31'.



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AA-N0S-ENV-2.100 
Environment Standard & Practice  
Environment Assessment Process  for ATM Changes 
 
 
Editorial Practices 
Standard 
ƒ  Any specification of the criteria necessary to ensure that 
a product, service or system achieves compliance with 
safety, environment and regulatory and organisational 
requirements 
Recommended 
ƒ  Provides recommended practices on how a standard 
Practice 
may be met. Business units may develop alternative 
practices provided that they meet the requirements of 
the standard. Business units must ensure that such 
alternative practices provide a due diligence defence for 
Airservices Australia. 
ƒ  Printed in italics with the prefix (P).  
Note 
ƒ  Presents relevant factual information or references, but 
does not constitute part of the Standard or 
Recommended Practice.  
ƒ  Prefixed with “Note”. 
 
Amendment Record 
Amendment 
Section Amended 
Amended by 
Date 
Number 
Issue 1 
Original 
DSEA 
8/6/2001 
Issue 2 
Front Cover: Directorate Title, 
DSEA 29/5/2002 
Document Number 
Issue 2.1 
Throughout Document-Format, TEMS  DSEA 27/6/2003 
to ARMS, Document Numbers; Front 
Cover - Document Number/Title; Page 
2 – Editorial Practices/ Key words.  
Issue 2.2 
Section 3 Added clarification that 
DSEA 30/6/2004 
Groups and Sectors entirely over 
ocean did not need to record changes 
in ARMS unless the change 
influences low flying aircraft. This change 
did not involve a real change in procedures as 
ARMS does not require an assessment of these 
changes over the ocean. Hence the change was 
released as Issue 2.2 rather than Issue 3.  
 
Key words 
EMS 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
Environment Management System 
Environment Assessment 
ATM 
Change 
 
Released 
 
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Table of Contents 
 
Editorial Practices........................................................................................................ 2 
Amendment Record .................................................................................................... 2 
Key words.................................................................................................................... 2 
Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ 3 
Definitions.................................................................................................................... 4 
1. 
PURPOSE ........................................................................................................... 6 
2. 
PRINCIPLES ....................................................................................................... 6 
2.1 
All Proposals.......................................................................................... 6 
2.2 
Significant Environmental Business Risks ................................ ........ 7 
2.3 
Proposals with Significant Impacts ..................................... ............... 7 
2.4 
Responsibilities ............................................................. .... .................. 8 
3. 
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT .................................... .............................. 9 
3.1 
Environment Assessment Process...................................................... 9 
3.2 
Screening for Environmental Risk Process ........................................ 9 
3.3 
Environmental Impact Assessment Process .................................... 10 
3.4 
Environment Business Risk Management Process ......................... 10 
3.4.1  Elements of Environmental Business Risk Management ...................... 10 
3.4.2  Environment Business Risk Assessment .............................................. 11 
3.4.3  Environment Business Risk Strategy..................................................... 11 
3.4.4  Reporting of Environment Business Risk .............................................. 11 
3.5 
Environmental Pre-Implementation Check ....................................... 13 
3.5.1  Elements................. .............................................................................. 13 
3.5.2  Pre-implementation check ..................................................................... 13 
3.5.3  Recording Implementation in ARMS...................................................... 13 
4. 
REFERENCES/RELATED DOCUMENTS ........................................................ 14 
5. 
APPENDICES: .................................................................................................. 14 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.110: Environmental Principles for Minimising the Impact of 
Aircraft Operations (including Noise) ..................................................... 14 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.120: Environment Risk Screening Criteria .............................. 14 
AA-NOS ENV-2.130: Environmental Impact Assessment Process for ATM 
proposals undertaken by Environment Services ................................... 14 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.140: ATM Environmental Business Risk Matrix ...................... 14 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.150: Environment Assessment Process for ATM Changes - 
Recommended Practices (Under Development) ................................... 14 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.160: ATM ARMS User Guide (Under Development................ 14
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
 
6. 
EXPLANATORY NOTES .................................................................................. 15 
For Section 2.3: Proposals with Significant Impacts ................................... 15 
Explanatory Notes for Section 3.1: Environment Assessment Process. ... 15
Released 
For Section 3.2 Screening for Environment Risk Process .......................... 15 
For Section 3.3: Environmental Impact Assessment Process .................... 16 
For Section 3.4: Environment Business Assessment Process .................. 17 
For Section 3.5: Environmental Pre-Implementation Check ....................... 17 
 
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Definitions 
ATM 
Air traffic Management 
DAHAP 
Designated Airspace Handbook Amendment Proposal 
EIA 
Environmental Impact Assessment 
EBRA 
Environmental Business Risk Assessment 
Environmental 
The risk mitigation strategy required for all proposals with an 
Business Risk 
EBRA assessment of “significant environmental business 
Strategy 
risk”. It is developed by recording, in ARMS, objectives and 
targets. 
Environmental 
Indicates that from an environmental perspective the proposal 
Clearance 
has clearance to be implemented as the proposal has been 
assessed as not having significant impacts and the impacts 
have been minimised. A proposal cannot be implemented 
without "Environmental Clearance". "Environmental 
Clearance" is established in ARMS (in the "Risk Assessment 
Window”) and then recorded in the RFC.  
Environmental 
The criteria used to determine if Environmental Impact 
Risk Screening 
Assessment and Environmental Business Risk assessment is 
Criteria 
required. See also: AA-NOS-ENV-2.120 
Environmental 
An area of high conservations value (including biosphere 
Sensitive Area 
reserves, world heritage areas, Commonwealth reserves, 
Ramsar wetlands, National Parks and conservation reserves) 
or areas of highly sensitive to aircraft noise. 
EMS 
Environmental Management System 
EPBC Act 
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 
1999. 
Manager 
Responsible Manager in Airservices or their delegate 
Production/ 
The Manager, whose actions will or may result in the proposal 
Implementation 
becoming operational. This may or may not be the Proponent 
Unit Manager 
Manager 
Proponent 
Manager of the Business Centre which is responsible for the 
Manager 
management of the proposal, or the Manager’s delegate. 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
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Definitions 
Proposal 
Proposal is any change in Airservices’ air traffic management 
practices that may affect aircraft movements. This would 
include, but would not be limited to, proposals to alter or 
introduce:  
•  New or amendments to an instrument approach,  
•  A new or amendment to an existing flight path or air 
route,  
•  Re-classification of air space, 
•  Change to preferred runways,  
•  Change in time of day of operation (eg amendments to 
tower hours of operations – as the time of day that a 
tower operates may alter the flight path used by 
aircraft,);  
•  A change to a support system that may influence the 
capacity  or mode of operation of an of ATC unit;  
•  A change that allows use of a flight path / airspace by 
different type or number of aircraft. 
•  A tactical decision of an air traffic controller to alter the 
track of an individual aircraft does not institute a 
proposal.  
Proposal – for 
The documentation of the proposal prepared by a Proponent 
Environmental 
Manager that forms the basis for environmental assessment.  
Assessment 
document 

RFC 
Request for Change registers, which are managed by the 
Business Centres. 
Significant 
A proposal assessed as having significant impact in 
Environmental 
accordance with the EPBC Act 
Impacts 
Significant 
A proposal assessed in Environmental Business Risk 
Environment 
Assessment as having significant business risks associated 
Business Risk 
with the environmental impacts of the proposal. . A proposal 
may be a significant environmental business risk without 
having significant environmental impacts, for example a 
change in an air route that causes public concern but does not 
have a significant impact in terms of noise. 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
Small Remote 
Small residential areas located in a "Designated Remote 
Communities 
Area" on En Route Charts -ERC (low) or in ERSA  (GEN - FIS 
- In Flight) -  (Central Australia). 
ARMS 
Tool for Environmental Management. This is the database 
used to record data arising from Airservices’ EMS. It is 
Released 
available on request by contacting IT Help Desk 5555. 
 
 
 
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1. PURPOSE 
1.1 
To establish a standard for the environmental assessment of proposed 
changes to Airservices’ air traffic management practices that may involve a 
change to aircraft operation (proposals).  
1.2 
The Standard provides a process, designed to ensure sound environmental 
management, and to ensure appropriate due diligence activity, by 
facilitating: 
(i)  Compliance with environmental management requirements by: 
(ii)  Identifying proposals that may have significant impacts and ensure that 
appropriate assessment of these proposals is undertaken, as required 
under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 
1999 (EPBC); 
(iii) Ensuring air traffic management practices are conducted in a manner 
so that the environment is protected, as far as is practicable, as 
required under the Air Services Act 1995; and 
(iv) Documenting the process to facilitate demonstration of due diligence. 
1.3 
Management of environmentally related business risk. 
2. PRINCIPLES 
2.1 All 
Proposals 
2.1.1 
All proposed changes to Airservices’ air traffic management practices 
(proposals) that may affect aircraft operations shall: 
(i)  Reflect environmental considerations in their design and must be 
consistent with Airservices’ "Environmental Principles for Minimising the 
Impact of Aircraft Operations (including Noise)"  (See AA-NOS-ENV-
2.110); 
(ii)  Be recorded in ARMS (the database that supports the Airservices’ 
environmental management system) and Airservices’ Request for 
Change (RFC) register by the Proponent Manager; 
(iii) Be assessed in accordance with the ATM Environmental Assessment 
process outlined in this Standard, and the outcome of the assessment 
(including whether "Environmental Clearance" for implementation is 
established) shall be recorded and approved using ARMS, and 
recorded in the RFC register and (where relevant) DAHAP; 
(iv) NOT be implemented without "Environmental Clearance" as designated 
in ARMS; and 
(v) Be reassessed under the Environment Assessment process prior to 
implementation, if the proposal has been modified after "Environmental 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
Clearance” for implementation” has been established in accordance 
with this Standard. 
Released 
 
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2.2 
Significant Environmental Business Risks 
2.2.1 All 
proposals assessed as having a “significant environment business risk” 
shall:  
(i)  Have an appropriate environmental risk management strategy (ie. 
objectives and targets which aim to manage the environment related 
business risks) developed by the Proponent Manager and these shall 
be recorded in ARMS;  
(ii)  Be reported to the Board; and 
(iii) Be informally reported to Environment Australia, by the Manager 
Standards and Environment Branch, DSEA, for their information - even 
if the environmental impact assessment is not significant. 
2.3 
Proposals with Significant Impacts 
2.3.1 All 
proposals assessed as having "significant impacts", shall be referred, by 
the Environment Services Manager, to the Environment Minister for his 
advice, (unless the Proponent Manager decides not to proceed with the 
proposal). 
(i)  The Environment Minister’s advice shall be considered by the CEO; 
and  
(ii)  The action taken (eg in relation to implementation of the proposal) shall 
be recorded, and if the Minister’s advice was not given effect, the 
reasons why, shall be documented and forwarded to the Environment 
Minister, by the CEO, in accordance with the EPBC Act. 
Note: For Explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 2.3. 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
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3.3 
Environmental Impact Assessment Process 
3.3.1 
For all proposals that do not satisfy the Environment Risk Screening 
Criteria: 
(i) The Proponent Manager shall:  
(a) Provide the proposal details necessary for the Environmental 
Assessment to the Environment Services Manager; and 
(ii) The Environment Services Manager, in managing Environment 
Impact Assessment Process, shall: 
(a) Undertake an Initial Impact Assessment of all proposals that do 
not satisfy the Environment Risk Screening Criteria; 
(b) Undertake a Full Impact Assessment for all proposals assessed in 
the Initial Impact Assessment as requiring "Further Impact 
Assessment"; 
(c) Initiate and manage the "Formal EPBC Impact Assessment" for all 
proposals assessed in the Full Impact Assessment as having or 
likely to have significant impacts, Unless the Proponent Manager 
decides not to proceed with the proposal; 
(d) Document and approve the assessments, and record the findings 
in ARMS,; and 
(e) Advise the Proponent Manager of the environmental impact 
assessment findings and referencing this advice in ARMS. 
(iii) The Proponent Manager shall:  
(a) Record in the RFC, the EIA result (including whether "Environmental 
Clearance" for implementation is established and any conditions). 
(iv) The Standards and Environment Branch Manager shall: 
(a) Advise Environment Australia of all proposals and the EIA 
assessment findings where the EBRA is significant environmental 
business risk. 
3.3.2 
These actions shall be undertaken in accordance with: 
(i) this Standard; 
(ii)  Environment Assessment process for ATM changes -Recommended 
Practices AA-NOS-ENV-2.150,  
(iii) Environmental Principles for Minimising the Impact of Aircraft 
Operations (including Noise) AA-NOS-ENV-2.110; and 
(iv) Initial Environmental Impact Assessment Process AA-NOS-ENV-2.130. 
Note: For explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 3.3 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
3.4 
Environment Business Risk Management 
Process 

Released  3.4.1  Elements of Environmental Business Risk Management 
3.4.1.1  The Airservices’ ATM environmental business risk assessment process 
incorporates three elements: 
 
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(i)  Identification of significant environmental business risk through the 
Environmental Business Risk Assessment (EBRA); 
(ii)  Development of environmental business risks mitigation strategies for 
proposals with significant environmental business risks; and 
(iii) Reporting of significant business risks (and their mitigation strategies) 
to the Board. 
3.4.2 
Environment Business Risk Assessment  
3.4.2.1  The Environment Service Manager shall: 
(i)  Undertake an assessment of the Environmental Business Risk (using 
ARMS) for all proposals that do not satisfy the Environment Risk 
Screening Criteria; 
(ii)  Record the outcome in ARMS; and 
(iii) Inform the Proponent Manager of the outcome. 
3.4.2.2 The 
Proponent Manager shall 
(i)  Record in the RFC, the EBRA result (ie whether it is a “Significant 
Environmental Business Risk”). 
3.4.3 
Environment Business Risk Strategy  
3.4.3.1  For all proposals that are assessed as having a significant environment 
business risk, the Proponent Manager shall: 
(i)  Develop an Environmental Business Risk Strategy to manage the 
business risks by recording in ARMS, objectives and targets;  
(ii)  Record in the RFC, a reference to the Environmental Business Risk 
Strategy; and 
(iii) Implement the strategy (objectives and targets) and record its 
implementation in ARMS.  
(iv) For details - See: AA-NOS-ENV-2.150, Environment Assessment 
process for ATM changes -Recommended Practice;  
3.4.4 
Reporting of Environment Business Risk  
3.4.4.1  The Director of Safety and Environment Assurance shall report the 
significant environment business risk (and their mitigation strategies) to the 
Board.  
(i)  For details - See: AA-NOS-ENV-2.150, Environment Assessment 
process for ATM changes -Recommended Practice;  
Note: For explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 3.4 
 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
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3.5 Environmental 
Pre-Implementation 
Check 
3.5.1 Elements 
3.5.1.1  Airservices’ Environmental Pre-Implementation Check process 
incorporates two elements: 
(i)  A pre-implementation check of the RFC, prior to the operational 
implementation of the proposal, to ensure that the proposal has 
“Environmental Clearance”; and  
(ii)  Recording implementation of the proposal in ARMS. 
3.5.2 Pre-implementation 
check 
3.5.2.1 The 
Implementation / Production Unit Manager shall, prior to 
implementation of any proposal, verify, using the RFC, that "Environmental 
Clearance" has been established. It is the Proponent Manager’s 
responsibility to ensure that this occurs. 
(i) If "Environmental Clearance" is recorded in the RFC, the Production 
/ Implementation Unit Manager may (from an environmental 
perspective) proceed with implementation.  
(ii) If "Environmental Clearance" is not recorded in the RFC, the 
Production / Implementation Unit Manager, shall : 
•  Not implement the proposal, until "Environmental Clearance" has 
been established and recorded in the RFC; and 
•  Inform the Proponent Manager that the proposal is not being 
implemented because it does not have "Environmental 
Clearance". 
3.5.3 
Recording Implementation in ARMS 
3.5.3.1  After a proposal becomes operational, the Proponent Manager (or the 
Implementation / Production Unit Manager, on behalf of the Proponent 
Manager) shall record in ARMS (and may record in the RFC register and 
DAHAP) that the proposal has been implemented. 
3.5.3.2  For details - See:  
(i)  AA-NOS-ENV-2.150, Environment Assessment process for ATM 
changes -Recommended Practice;  
(ii)  AA-NOS-ENV-2.160, Environment Assessment process for ATM 
changes Use Guide 
Note: For explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 3.5. 
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4. REFERENCES/RELATED 
DOCUMENTS 
4.1 Airservices’ 
Environment 
Policy 
4.2 
ARMS data base 
4.3 RFC 
Register(s) 
5. APPENDICES: 
(Note: These appendices form part of the Standard) 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.110: Environmental Principles for Minimising the Impact 
of Aircraft Operations (including Noise) 

AA-NOS-ENV-2.120: Environment Risk Screening Criteria 
Details the Criteria used in ARMS for the Screening for Environmental Risk 
AA-NOS ENV-2.130: Environmental Impact Assessment Process for ATM 
proposals undertaken by Environment Services 
Outlines in flow-chart form the Initial Environment Impact Assessment Process for 
ARS proposals that is undertaken by Environment Services  
AA-NOS-ENV-2.140: ATM Environmental Business Risk Matrix 
Details the Matrix used in ARMS to assess the Environmental Business Risks of 
ATM proposals 
AA-NOS-ENV-2.150: Environment Assessment Process for ATM 
Changes - Recommended Practices (Under Development) 
Provides details of the Environmental Assessment Process for ATM changes. As 
such it provides the benchmark for audits and a reference for users of the standard  
AA-NOS-ENV-2.160: ATM ARMS User Guide (Under Development 
Provides a user guide for ARMS users.  
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
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6. EXPLANATORY 
NOTES 
For Section 2.3: Proposals with Significant Impacts 
The environmental assessment requirements for airspace management are 
established under the Commonwealth EPBC Act. 
The EPBC Act requires Commonwealth agencies to: 
ƒ  obtain and consider advice from the Environment Minister before authorising any 
change to an aviation airspace management plan / procedure, involving aircraft 
operations that has or are likely to have a significant impact on the environment; 
and  
ƒ  report to the Environment Minister on the actions taken and the reason why the 
Minister's advice was not given effect, if such a circumstance arises.  
The Environment Minister may also request a referral of a proposal for his advice. 
The EPBC Act assessment requirement for aviation airspace management differs 
from the assessment requirements for all other actions (except that for major airport 
development & foreign aid projects ie. those listed in Section 160).  
All other actions (ie any action that will or is likely to have a significant impact on 
Commonwealth land or a matter of national environmental significance, and any 
action undertaken by a Commonwealth body that will or is likely to have a significant 
environmental impact) must be referred to the Environment Minister (where provision 
for public comment is made) and the Environment Minister decides: 
ƒ  if the action is likely to have a significant impact (and therefore whether the 
proposal requires EPBC assessment);  
ƒ  the level of formal assessment required; and  
ƒ  subsequent to the assessment, whether the proposal has approval to proceed. 
To maximise due diligence, in the absence of the option to refer the proposal to the 
Environment Minister (for a decision on whether the impacts are likely to be 
significant and subsequently the assessment requirements and whether the project is 
approved), the Manager Standards and Environment Branch, will inform Environment 
Australia of all proposals that are assessed as having significant business risk (eg 
high risk of strong public concern). 
For Section 3.1: Environment Assessment Process. 
The Environmental Assessment process has been designed to enhance efficiency of 
the assessment process, while maintaining the rigour (effectiveness) of the system. 
Key elements of its efficiency /effectiveness include: 
ƒ  Use of ARMS (a purpose built database that supports the Airservices’ 
environmental management system) for screening of risks and environmental 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
record management; and 
ƒ  A staged approach to assessment with screening and initial assessment stages 
being adopted to enable proposals with no risks or low-level impacts to be fast 
tracked through the process. 
Released  For Section 3.2 Screening for Environment Risk 
Process 
Screening for Environmental Risk is:  
 
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ƒ  A quick screening process to identify those: 
o  proposals that may create a significant environmental risk and therefore 
require Environmental Impact Assessment & Environmental Business Risk 
Assessment; & 
o  proposal for which ATM Group  may establish the “Environmental Clearance”, 
as they have been screened as having no risk of creating a significant 
environmental impact or business risk. 
ƒ  Compulsory for all proposals and is the first step in the ATM environmental 
assessment process.  
For Section 3.3: Environmental Impact Assessment 
Process 
The Environmental Impact Assessment process:   
ƒ  Is compulsory for all proposals that do not satisfy the Environment Risk 
Screening Criteria (to establish whether ATM Group can establish “environmental 
clearance”. 
ƒ  Is designed to facilitate compliance with EPBC Act assessment requirements and 
Air Services Act requirements to minimise the impacts, as far as practicable, and 
facilitate due diligence; and   
ƒ  Is a three staged assessment process managed by the Environment Services 
Manager, consisting of: 
o  Initial Environmental Impact Assessment: a quick assessment process to 
identify proposals that can be implemented without a full impact assessment 
(ie where the initial assessment indicates that there is no potential for 
significant impacts and the impacts have been minimised). This is undertaken 
for all proposals that do not satisfy the Environment Risk Screening Criteria; 
o  Full Environmental Impact Assessment: A rigorous assessment to 
determine if impacts may be significant or impacts are not minimised. This is 
only undertaken for proposals assessed as requiring "Further Assessment" in 
the Initial Environmental Assessment; and 
o  Formal EPBC Impact Assessment: A formal system of assessment 
undertaken in accordance with the EPBC Act requirements and considering 
the advice of the Environment Minister. This shall be undertaken for all 
proposals assessed as having, or likely to have  "significant environmental 
impacts", unless the Proponent Manager decides not to proceed with the 
proposal; and 
ƒ  Identifies proposals within 3 categories. Proposals that: 
o  Minimise the impacts on the environment, as far as practicable, (as required 
under Air Service Act)  and do not have the potential to create significant 
impacts (an EPBC Act requirement) and establishes such proposals have 
"Environmental Clearance" to be implemented; 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
o  Have significant impacts and therefore require formal assessment under the 
EPBC Act and ensures that appropriate formal assessment under the EPBC 
Act is implemented; and  
o  Do not minimise the impact on the environment, as far as practicable, (as 
required under Air Services Act) and therefore need to be modified to 
Released 
minimise the impacts prior to implementation. 
 
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For Section 3.4: Environment Business Assessment 
Process 
Environmental Business Risk Assessment is designed to identify early in a proposals’ 
development, if the proposal may raise significant environmental business risk and 
establishes a framework for managing these risks. 
A proposal may raise significant environmental related business risks for Airservices, 
even though it may not have significant environmental impacts, under EPBC Act. 
Usually such risks are associated with public outrage. 
For Section 3.5: Environmental Pre-Implementation 
Check  
Pre- Implemental Check (of "Environment Clearance"): is a "safety -net" to help 
ensure proposals are not implemented without "Environmental Clearance" and to 
record the implementation / cancellation of proposals. 
 
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
Released 
 
National Operating Standard             Issue Number: Issue 2.2      Date of Issue: 30  June 2004  
Page 17 of 17 
Airservices Australia