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Note
As part of an organisational restructure that became effective on 1 April 2009,
Environment and Climate Change moved from Corporate Affairs to Safety &
Environment.
Accordingly, until these documents are updated, any references to Corporate
Affairs accountabilities or responsibilities should be read as being Safety &
Environment accountabilities or responsibilities, with the exception of any
activities that directly relate to the Corporate Affairs Business Group functions
i.e. public affairs.
Please contact s47F
on ext 4279 if you have any queries.
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Editorial Practices
Standard
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
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.
Printed in italics with the prefix (P).
Note
Presents relevant factual information or references, but
does not constitute part of the Standard or
Recommended Practice.
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, Document
DSEA 29/5/2002
Number
Issue 2.1
Throughout Document-Format, TEMS to
DSEA 27/6/2003
ARMS, Document Numbers; Front Cover -
Document Number/Title; Page 2 – Editorial
Practices/ Key words.
Issue 2.2
Section 3 Added clarification that Groups and
DSEA 30/6/2004
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
Issue 3
Revised to reflect new organisational structure. Environment
28/11/2007
Additional words added to 3.3.1 to emphasise
Branch
proponent requirements to provide information
for proposal assessments.
Reference to responsibility of Manager
Environment Branch with respect to proposals
assessed as having a significant
environmental impact added to 2.3.
Reference to CASA OAR airspace and air
route assessment requirements included and
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
name of Minister updated.
Key words
EMS
Released Environment Management System
Environment Assessment
ATM
Change
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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 ......................... 11
3.4.1 Elements of Environmental Business Risk Management ...................... 11
3.4.2 Environment Business Risk Assessment .............................................. 11
3.4.3 Environment Business Risk Strategy .................................................... 12
3.4.4 Reporting of Environment Business Risk .............................................. 12
3.5
Environmental Pre-Implementation Check ....................................... 14
3.5.1 Elements ................ .............................................................................. 14
3.5.2 Pre-implementation check ..................................................................... 14
3.5.3 Recording Implementation in ARMS ..................................................... 14
4.
REFERENCES/RELATED DOCUMENTS........................................................ 15
5.
APPENDICES:.................................................................................................. 15
6.
EXPLANATORY NOTES.................................................................................. 16
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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.
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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
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
implementation, if the proposal has been modified after "Environmental
Clearance” for implementation” has been established in accordance
with this Standard.
2.1.2
All proposals for airspace and air route changes are also assessed by the
CASA Office of Airspace Regulation (OAR).
Released Note: OAR does not assess proposals associated with departure and approach
procedures such as SIDs, STARs and Instrument Approach Procedures.
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In the case of airspace and air route changes where Airservices is the
proponent, Airservices shall undertake an environmental assessment of the
proposal in accordance with EMS requirements before forwarding to the
proposal to OAR for approval where appropriate. OAR will undertake their
own environmental assessment in accordance with OAR documented
procedures.
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 Department of the Environment and Water
Resources, by the Corporate Environment Manager, 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 Manager Environment Branch to the Minister for the Environment and
Water Resources for his advice, (unless the Proponent Manager decides
not to proceed with the proposal).
(i) The Environment and Water Resources 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 &
Water Resources Minister, by the CEO, in accordance with the EPBC
Act.
Note: For Explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 2.3.
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(i) Enter the proposal into ARMS and the RFC;
(ii) Undertake the Screening for Environmental Risk for all proposals using
ARMS;
(iii) Advise Environment Branch of the outcome; and
(iv) Record in the RFC, the Screening result (including whether
"Environmental Clearance" for implementation is established) and
(where appropriate) DAHAP.
3.2.2
If the Screening result is:
(i) "Criteria Satisfies": then, “Environmental Clearance” (to be
implemented) can be established (without further assessment) by the
Proponent Manager approving the Screening result in ARMS.
(ii) "Criteria Not Satisfied": then, EBRA and EIA are required.
Note: For explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 3.2:
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 all the relevant proposal details, including any ongoing
revisions or changes to the proposal, necessary for the
Environmental Assessment to the
Manager Environment Branch
in a timely manner; and
(ii) The
Manager Environment Branch, in managing Environment Impact
Assessment Process, shall:
(a) Ensure that all necessary proposal details are obtained from the
Proponent Manager and clarify any potential ambiguities in a timely
fashion;
(b) Undertake an
Initial Impact Assessment of all proposals that do
not satisfy the Environment Risk Screening Criteria;
(c) Undertake a
Full Impact Assessment for all proposals assessed in
the Initial Impact Assessment as requiring "Further Impact
Assessment";
(d) 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;
(e)
Document and approve the assessments, and record the findings
in ARMS,; and
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
(f) Advise the Proponent Manager of the environmental impact
assessment findings and referencing this advice in ARMS.
(iii) The
Proponent Manager shall:
Released
(a) Record in the RFC, the EIA result (including whether "Environmental
Clearance" for implementation is established and any conditions).
(b) In the case of airspace and air route changes, where Airservices is
the proponent, forward the completed environmental assessment
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approval and any associated reports to the Airspace and Military
Liaison Manager for submission to OAR.
(iv) In the case of airspace and air route changes where Airservcies is the
proponent, the
Airspace and Military Liaison Manager shall:
(a) Forward the results of Airservices environmental assessments to
OAR as part of the Airspace Change Proposal (ACP)
(v) The
Corporate Environment Manager shall:
(a)
Advise the Department of the Environment and Water
Resources 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) Environmental Principles for Minimising the Impact of Aircraft
Operations (including Noise) AA-NOS-ENV-2.110; and
(iii) Initial Environmental Impact Assessment Process AA-NOS-ENV-2.130.
Note: For explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 3.3
3.4
Environment Business Risk Management
Process
3.4.1
Elements of Environmental Business Risk Management
3.4.1.1
The Airservices’ ATM environmental business risk assessment process
incorporates three elements:
(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 Manager Environment Branch 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
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
(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”).
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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.
3.4.4
Reporting of Environment Business Risk
3.4.4.1
The General Manager, Safety Management shall report the significant
environment business risk (and their mitigation strategies) to the Board.
Note: For explanation see Explanatory Notes for Section 3.4
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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-GUIDE-ARMS-2.000, 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 Branch
Outlines in flow-chart form the Initial Environment Impact Assessment Process for
ARS proposals that is undertaken by Environment Branch
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-GUIDE-ARMS-2.000: ARMS User Guide (For Environmental Risks
associated with ATS Provides a user guide for ARMS users.
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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:
obtain and consider advice from the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources 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
report to the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources on the actions
taken and the reason why the Minister's advice was not given effect if such a
circumstance arises.
The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources 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 Minister for the Environment and
Water Resources (where provision for public comment is made) and the Minister for
the Environment and Water Resources decides:
if the action is likely to have a significant impact (and therefore whether the
proposal requires EPBC assessment);
the level of formal assessment required; and
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
Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (for a decision on whether the
impacts are likely to be significant and subsequently the assessment requirements
and whether the project is approved), the Corporate Environment Manager will inform
Department of the Environment and Water Resources 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
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
the assessment process, while maintaining the rigour (effectiveness) of the system.
Key elements of its efficiency /effectiveness include:
Use of ARMS (a purpose built database that supports the Airservices’
environmental management system) for screening of risks and environmental
record management; and
Released 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.
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For Section 3.2 Screening for Environment Risk
Process
Screening for Environmental Risk is:
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.
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:
Is compulsory for all proposals that do not satisfy the Environment Risk
Screening Criteria (to establish whether ATM Group can establish “environmental
clearance”.
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
Is a three staged assessment process managed by the Manager Environment
Branch, 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 Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. 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
Identifies proposals within 3 categories. Proposals that:
by Airservices Australia pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth)
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;
Released
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
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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
minimise the impacts prior to implementation.
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.
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