ATM_2026_5942: Development of a National Bird and Bat Management Plan (BBMP) Template and Guidance for Australian Wind Farms

Wind farms have the potential to impact birds and bats through collisions with turbine blades, displacement from habitats, and disturbance to foraging and breeding areas. An adaptive Bird and Bat Management Plan (BBMP) provides a structured framework to monitor, avoid, minimise and manage these impacts using predefined thresholds and adaptive operational responses. Currently, the Department provides no standard guidance or template for BBMPs, resulting in inconsistent approaches and uncertainty for proponents and regulators. Developing a national, adaptive Bird and Bat Management Plan (BBMP) template and supporting guidance will improve consistency, regulatory efficiency, and environmental outcomes by providing clear, best-practice expectations aligned with regulatory assessments under the EPBC Act. The Customer requires the following goods or services to be provided by 15 June 2026 (no extension to timeframes is possible): (1) Regulatory and Literature Review Report Undertake a review and analysis of existing documentation relevant to the development of national, standardised adaptive bird and bat management requirements. The report should provide a concise review of Australian and international BBMP practices, identifying effective and best-practice approaches. The review should also consider opportunities for national alignment of BBMP requirements across the EPBC Act and state and territory regulatory frameworks. (2) Development of a standardised BBMP Template Produce a clear, standardised template (the “what proponents must include” document) suitable for use in wind farm referral, assessment, approval, operation and compliance reporting processes. The BBMP Template must set out the mandatory sections, minimum content requirements, and standardised terminology. (3) Development of BBMP Technical Guidance Develop accompanying BBMP Technical Guidance (the “how and why” document) to support implementation of the BBMP Template. The Guidance should explain best practice, acceptable options and provide flexibility without being overly prescriptive. (4) Stakeholder engagement Undertake targeted stakeholder engagement with state and territory regulators, industry representatives, scientific experts, and environmental consultants to ensure the BBMP Template and Guidance are practical, scientifically credible and, where possible, aligned for state and territory adoption. This must include provision of a documented summary of consultation outcomes to the Customer. (5) Customer engagement Engage with the Commonwealth environment regulator to ensure the BBMP Template and BBMP Technical Guidance are practical, and fit for national adoption for assessments, approvals, monitoring and compliance under the EPBC Act. (6) The Supplier must ensure that all Goods and/or Services are nationally applicable, scientifically robust, operationally feasible, and capable of supporting consistent, efficient and transparent environmental management outcomes for onshore wind farm projects across Australia.

The Customer will exclude a Tender from further consideration if at any time before a contract is executed the Customer considers that the potential Supplier does not meet any one or more of the following conditions for participation: (i) the potential Supplier exists as a legal entity at the Closing Time.

More information relating to the project can be found at: https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/epbc/advice/renewable-energy-projects/reri

15 June 2026