Projects

Mineral Exploration Projects

Environmental Impact Assessment  Rehabilitation Plans

DevEx

ARNHEM PLATEAU

Since 2023, Four Elements Consulting has been supporting DevEx Resources with environmental planning and approvals for mineral exploration projects across Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Our team has delivered a range of ecological services, including threatened species surveys, vegetation mapping and assessments, habitat assessments, and environmental constraints mapping to inform project design and minimise environmental impacts. We have also provided strategic advice throughout the state and Commonwealth environmental approval processes, preparing technical assessments and supporting documentation to assist DevEx in meeting its regulatory obligations. By integrating ecological expertise with practical project planning, Four Elements has helped DevEx identify environmental risks early, refine exploration layouts to avoid sensitive environmental values where practicable, and progress exploration activities while maintaining compliance with environmental legislation and best-practice management.

Darwin Defence Housing Projects

Environmental Impact Assessment

Defence Housing Australia

DARWIN COASTAL

Since 2023, Four Elements Consulting has been supporting Defence Housing Australia (DHA) in delivering environmentally responsible development projects across the Northern Territory. Our team has provided a broad range of ecological services, including ecological assessments, targeted threatened species surveys, vegetation assessments, and ongoing monitoring of significant and sensitive vegetation communities. We have also delivered fauna spotter-catcher services during vegetation clearing, ensuring wildlife is safely managed and environmental obligations are met throughout construction activities. Working closely with DHA, our ecologists have helped identify and manage environmental constraints, informed project planning through field-based ecological advice, and supported compliance with Commonwealth and Northern Territory environmental legislation. By combining technical expertise with practical on-ground experience, we assisted DHA in progressing development while minimising impacts on biodiversity and protecting environmentally significant values.

Tumuruu BESS and Solar Farm

Environmental Impact Assessment

Australian Solar Enterprises

SOUTH EAST QUEENSLAND

Our team were paramount in guiding the design and development of the Tumuruu solar project in southeast Queensland. The area sits within the South East Queensland conservation strategy area for koala (Phascolarctos cinereus); one of the country’s most iconic endangered species. We worked with the team at ASE to partition the property into areas that would become part of the project’s footprint (265 ha) and areas that would remain important habitat and dispersal corridors for koala (407 ha). These areas included high-value regrowth dominated by pink bloodwood (Corymbia intermedia), silver-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia), forest red gum (E. tereticornis) and gum-topped box (E. moluccana) – all important habitat and food trees for koala.

Additional to koala, the project also sought to address potential impacts to grey-headed flying-foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus), a vulnerable-listed species that is declining across much of its eastern Australian range. The large fruit-bat requires mature nectar trees to forage for nutrients and to roost in. The project retained all of the high-value regrowth throughout the project, all waterways with their 20 m buffers and will enact a Vegetation Management Plan (VMP) that will plant additional nectar-providing plants such as forest red gum (E. tereticornis) and mixed native grevillea and banksia species. The project has done its utmost to allow for the continued, and even improved use of the property, by some of the most imperiled species in the area.

Zig Zag and Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Road Upgrades

Protected Plant Surveys Environment Management Plans

Douglas Shire Council

THE QUEENSLAND WET TROPICS

Four Elements assisted Douglas Shire Council with the environmental approvals process for the design and documentation for pavement upgrades to steep sections of Zig Zag located and Cape Tribulation Bloomfield Road (CTBR). The team conducted an environmental assessment to identify the necessary approvals and surveys required to ensure environmental compliance during the development. Four Elements undertook works which included:

• Liaison with council, engineers and state authorities
• Site visit and walk alignments to ‘ground truth’ the scope with Council officers
• Prepare environmental approvals report and obtain relevant approvals Protected Plant survey and Impact Management Plan
• Environment Management Plan

Daintree River Ferry Upgrade

Ecological Assessment

Douglas Shire Council

THE QUEENSLAND WET TROPICS

Four Elements Consulting was engaged by Douglas Shire Council to undertake an Ecological Assessment to determine the constraints of the Daintree River Ferry upgrade. The project aims to resolve the lengthy wait times for the ferry during peak tourism season by procuring a ferry with larger carrying capacity and widening the access roads. Four Elements conducted Protected Plant Surveys and threatened fauna surveys to assist with the project’s approval stage.

During the on-site surveys, our team located five listed threatened flora species and three listed threatened fauna species, including the endangered blue antler orchid (Dendrobium nindii), vulnerable ant plant (Myrmecodia beccarii) and vulnerable spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus).

The associated report provided recommendations to reduce the project’s impacts to environmental values, sensitive environments and threatened species. It also outlined the necessary approval pathways required to meet statutory requirements and successfully manage the ecological assets within the property.

Mount Emerald Wind Farm

Environmental Impact Assessment  Environmental Management  Threatened Species Monitoring  Long-term Rehabilitation Monitoring  Biosecurity Management  Offsets

RATCH Australia

THE QUEENSLAND WET TROPICS AND EINASLEIGH UPLANDS

Four Elements Consulting commenced the construction phase environmental management of Mount Emerald Wind Farm in January 2017. This diverse project work has continued into the operations phase, with all works conducted by an in-house team of ecological consultants.

The construction and operations phase ecological works were outlined under nine management plans created under an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) approval condition.

The operational works are ongoing on this project with all management and monitoring components being undertaken by 4 Elements Consulting. These include an adaptive bird and bat management plan targeting the bare-rumped sheathtail bat (Saccolaimus saccolaimus) and the spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus), along with a northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) management plan to monitor the potential impact of the project on surrounding quoll populations. Other works include ongoing weed monitoring and management, threatened flora monitoring, rehabilitation monitoring, offset monitoring, and pest fauna monitoring and management. These works are conditioned with yearly reporting to the Federal Government.

Legacy Mines

Flora and Fauna Surveys  Threatened Species Monitoring

Various clients

THE QUEENSLAND GULF PLAINS AND EINASLEIGH UPLANDS

Four Elements Consulting undertook several flora and fauna surveys, alongside targeted threatened species surveys at three legacy mines in far northwest Queensland. The works were undertaken to determine the current condition of the sites and to ascertain the potential impact to the environment from the proposed rehabilitation activities on the site.

The surveys followed the standard methodologies, with sampling techniques including pitfall trapping, bird surveys, song-meter deployment, bat call analysis (Anabat), cage trapping, and Elliot A trapping for mammals.

These surveys accompanied a detailed ecological report that provided an overview of the approaches used to survey local species under government-approved methodology, focusing on areas of importance to the mining lease and Indigenous land managers.

Cape York Ecological Assessments

Ecological Constraints Assessment (ECA) with 4DBaru

Cape York Aboriginal Shire Councils

QUEENSLAND CAPE YORK PENINSULA

Four Elements Consulting, alongside 4DBaru, were commissioned by the Queensland Government to conduct ECAs in several Indigenous communities located in Cape York.

The assessments aimed to identify areas for potential development for the Aboriginal Shire Councils in the Mapoon, Pormpuraaw, Hopevale, and Injinoo regions. They focused on identifying flora, fauna and ecological values within the project sites, and the potential ecological impacts that may occur due to vegetation clearing. The associated reports provided detailed assessments of the local environment for ongoing monitoring.

Wangetti South Trail

Ecological Assessment  Fauna Management Plans   Biosecurity Management

Queensland Government

THE QUEENSLAND WET TROPICS

Four Elements Consulting was commissioned by the Queensland Government to conduct the Ecological Assessment, Fauna Habitat Management Plan, and Biosecurity Management Plan to facilitate the development of the Wangetti South Trail.

The trail is a proposed multi-use mountain biking and hiking trail located approximately 25 kilometres north of Cairns. Once finalised, it will be roughly 94 kilometres long and take hikers approximately six days to complete. The development of the trail will be delivered in three stages, with 4 Elements Consulting having been engaged to assist with stage one.

As the trail spans the Wet Tropics World Heritage area, our work facilitated the project team in identifying sensitive environmental areas to avoid.

Mount Fox Energy Park

Environmental Impact Assessment   Environmental Management   Threatened Species Monitoring    Long-term Rehabilitation              Biosecurity Management  Offsets   Targeted Surveys  Species Management Plans  Vegetation Management Plans

Mount Fox Energy Project

THE QUEENSLAND WET TROPICS AND EINASLEIGH UPLANDS

Four Elements have been completing the Ecological Assessments required to approve the development application for the proposed wind farm and batteries at Mount Fox. Targeted surveys for northern greater gliders (Petauroides minor), koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), bats and birds were conducted, and Species Management Plans were developed. Other management plans included a Rehabilitation Management Plan, Translocation Management Plan, Vegetation Management Plan, Weed Management Plan, Pest Management Plan, and Fauna Habitat Management Plan. Four Elements is also responsible for organising offsets strategies for this site and are maintaining an ongoing relationship with the project to determine suitable offsets.

Our team have also worked with protected plants and located the endangered-listed iron malletwood (Rhodamnia sessiliflora) and vulnerable Paluma bloodwood (Corymbia leptoloma) at the site, which are being protected and managed in accordance with legislation. Both species were mapped in detail to maximise avoidance of these populations in the design of the wind farm infrastructure.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Environment Management Plans

Environmental Management Plans

Queensland Parks and Wildlife, and Partnerships

THE QUEENSLAND GULF PLAINS AND WET TROPICS

Four Elements devised Environment Management Plans as overarching documents for Queensland Parks and Wildlife to engage with suitable procurement for undertaking capital works. This included protected area estate both in the Wet Tropics World Heritage area, and in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Our work helped set a precedent for tendering engineers and civil contractors to complete with site-specific environmental management procedures and performance indicators. The documents are designed to detail key environmental values at the sites, trigger thought-action processes for suitable management of any risks to these values and set out chains of custody for any issues arising from works.

Gove (Nhulunbuy) Green Fuel Facility

Threatened Species Monitoring

Algo Fuels

NORTHERN TERRITORY – ARNHEM LAND

Four Elements Consulting undertook targeted threatened species surveys on the proposed green fuel facility at Nhulunbuy (Gove) in north-east Arnhem Land. Surveys were undertaken using the Northern Territory Government’s guidelines for targeted surveys of threatened and significant plant species alongside the Australian Government’s targeted species guidelines for specific animal species with high likelihood of occurrence. The outcomes achieved included an assessment of constraints on the project and measures for the mitigation of significant impacts in line with both Australian and Northern Territory governmental conditions for the development.