At Maia, we specialise in the research and gathering of botanical data in order to advise and assist businesses to minimise their environmental impact and comply with all local and federal legislation. With a wealth of knowledge of the flora of Western Australia, extensive experience in botanical surveys and a wide range of scientific methodology, Maia can assist your business to reduce and minimise its direct and indirect impact on the flora of WA. Maia specialises in botanical surveys in the Murchison, Pilbara, Geraldton Sand-plains, Gascoyne, Goldfields, Jarrah Forest, Great Southern, Swan Coastal Plain and Great Victoria Desert regions of Western Australia. 

Specialised Services for The Mining Industry

Most land disturbing activities are regulated by permitting systems managed by the WA Department of Parks and Wildlife and the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum.  Botanical information is usually requested as part of permit applications by these departments. Most mineral exploration programmes, outside of specially protected conservation areas, are considered to be low impact activities.  Permits for these programmes may require:

• a list of flora of conservation significance found in the area
• estimations of the extent of impact to flora of conservation significance
• indications of indirect impacts (e.g. from weeds in the area)
• indications of how impacts will be minimised (through avoidance of flora of conservation significance and weed hygiene practices).

Depending on the extent of land disturbance and the information required, Maia can conduct an accurate investigation from thorough desktop surveys to multi-seasonal field surveys.

Formal Environmental Impact Assessments

Activities that may result either in extensive impacts or impacts to specially protected conservation areas may require formal environmental impact assessments.  To satisfy these requirements, Maia can:

• conduct multi-seasonal field surveys
• develop a list of flora found in the area
• calculate impacts to vegetation and flora (e.g. from proposed infrastructure)
• produce vegetation maps to best quantify impacts
• provide indications of indirect impacts (e.g. from weeds in the area or groundwater draw-down)
• advise how impacts can be minimised.

Using single or dual phase surveys, targeted flora surveys and desktop surveys, Maia can assist you to gather all the necessary information on the flora of your project area, minimise the impact and produce the impact assessment documentation.