Pacific, New Zealand, Australia

Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

EIA Good Practice: Registration and Certification of EIA Consultants   (uploaded June 2023)
Strengthening Environmental Impact Assessment: Guidelines for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PDF, 2016) 
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Guidelines for Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PDF, 60 MB, 2020)
Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines for Coastal Tourism Development in Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PDF, 2018)
Good Practice Guidelines in Environmental Impact Assessment for Coastal Engineering in the Pacific (PDF, 2022)
Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility
Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF) A Shared Approach for Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts (PDF, 2019)

New Zealand

Ecological Impact Assessment Guidelines (PDF, 2018 with 2024 addendum)   EIANZ EcIA webpage
Environment Guide  (website: Environment Foundation/Environmental Defence Society

Ministry for the Environment
 A guide to preparing a basic assessment of environmental effects
1 Aug 2006
"An assessment of environmental effects (AEE) must accompany each application for a resource consent under the Resource Management Act. This guide is intended to help applicants understand the process and prepare a simple AEE."

Climate change effects and impacts assessment: A guidance manual for local government in New Zealand
1 May 2008
"This manual provides projections of the expected physical impacts of climate change, both at the national level and for regions around New Zealand."
 
Climate implications of policy assessment guide
30 Jul 2024
"This guide supports agencies to meet the Climate Implications of Policy Assessment (CIPA) requirement."

Information for affected persons
1 Feb 2021
"This guide is aimed at people identified as being adversely affected by a proposed activity, described in the Resource Management Act (RMA) as ‘affected persons’."  

Consultation for resource consent applicants
1 Feb 2021
"This guide provides information on the consultation process under the Resource Management Act (RMA) if you are applying for a resource consent, and provides general guidance on who to consult and how. "

Applying for a resource consent
1 Feb 2021
"This guide contains information about the resource consent process under the Resource Management Act (RMA), including when you need a consent and how to apply."

Compliance, monitoring and enforcement
1 Feb 2021
"This guide explains how and when councils, and in some instances, the Environmental Protection Authority, carry out compliance, monitoring and enforcement under the Resource Management Act."


Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Ecological impact assessment guidelines
Aug 2023
“These guidelines are intended for ecologists undertaking EcIAs. It also includes information applicable to the wider project team involved in preparing, implementing, and supporting the EcIA process and the subsequent management of ecological effects.”

Guide to assessing social impacts for state highway projects
September 2016
“This guide seeks to achieve a nationally consistent approach to carrying out social impact assessment for state highway projects at all stages of a project’s life cycle.  This approach is intended to provide certainty and clarity of expectations for our customers and for the Agency and to appropriately deliver on our commitments to social responsibility. “  
 
Historic heritage impact assessment guide for state highway projects
March 2015
“This guide describes the processes to be used on NZ Transport Agency projects for assessing historic heritage effects and to determine appropriate mitigations.”

Bat management guide
November 2025
“This Bat management guide provides a consistent, fit-for-purpose framework for assessing, managing, and monitoring the effects of constructing, operating, and maintaining transport networks on native bats (the long-tailed bat and the lesser short-tailed bat).”

Coastal effects assessment guideline  
May 2017
“The Transport Agency has developed the Coastal affects assessment guideline in response to the Agency’s focus on long-term climate change impacts, such as sea level rise, increased inundation, and various environmental effects to ensure resilience of the New Zealand highway network.”

NZTA landscape and visual assessment guidelines
October 2013
“The NZTA landscape and visual assessment guidelines promote best practice for landscape and visual assessments (LVA) for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency projects. LVAs are technical reports forming part of Assessments of Environmental Effects (AEE) for applications for resource consents and Notices of Requirement for designations.”

Australia

Australian Capital Territory

Guide to Environmental Impact Statements (Territory Planning Authority,2024;  PDF)

Environmental impact assessment website 

NSW Department of Planning
Social Impact Assessment Guideline
July 2025
"The Social Impact Assessment Guideline helps deliver a clear and consistent approach to assessing the social impacts of State significant projects.

The guideline provides a framework to identify, predict, and evaluate social impacts of major projects and develop appropriate responses. This provides clarity and certainty for both project proponents and the community."

State significant development guidelinesState significant infrastructure guidelinesState significant project technical guidelines
Northern Territory
Environmental impact assessment and approval in the NT (NT EPA, PDF, 2025)

Other EIA guidance and information:  Environmental management website
Queensland Government
Environmental Impact Statement Process  [webpage]
This page has links to all the online information and resources

The environmental impact statement process for resource projects under Chapter 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (PDF, current 2025)

Resources (webpage)
The page has detailed guidance for community groups and proponents, forms, and checklists and many technical information sources.
South Australia
Guide for Applicants Impact Assessed Development (Plan SA, PDF, July 2023)
"...An application for Impact Assessed Development involves the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that addresses the expected environmental, social and economic effects of the proposed
development...." (p. 2)

Environment and Heritage Impact Assessment Guideline. (EHTM Attachment 1A) (Dept. for Infrastructure and Transport, PDF, 2021) 

Environmental Impact Assessment Criteria.  Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Regulatory Guidelines HRERG002.(Dept of Energy and Mining, PDF, 2024)
Tasmania (Environment Protection Authority)
Guide to Environmental Impact Assessment conducted by the EPA Board. (March 2019). 
Other guides (Community engagement, Land use Planners, etc.) available from the EPA's EIA webpage
Victoria State Government (Dept of Transport and Planning)
Ministerial guidelines for assessment of environmental effects under the Environment Effects Act 1978 (PDF, current 2025)

Environmental assessment guides. Guides, ministerial guidelines and advisory notes for Victorian environmental assessments.   [website]
Government of Western Australia Environmental Protection Authority
Statement of environmental principles, factors, objectives and aims of EIA

EIA Practice Guide  (from 1 Jan 2026) 
Technical Guidance - Environmental Impact Assessment of Marine Dredging Proposals
Technical Guidance - Flora and Vegetation Surveys for Environmental Impact Assessment
Technical Guidance - Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna Surveys for Environmental Impact Assessment