National Biodiversity Asset Register and Performance Standard 6 Assessment Tool (BAR-PS6)

The National Biodiversity Asset Register and Performance Standard 6 Assessment Tool (BAR-PS6) is a spatial database of environmental assets across Australia. Each asset has been evaluated against criteria defined in the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standard 6 (PS6). The final product includes 19 datasets (describing natural and modified habitats, species, communities, wetlands and waterways, seascapes, and protected areas across Australia) into a common data structure that allows for flexible, spatially referenced queries across many data sources. The ‘Biodiversity Asset Register’ was initially designed to support BHP Minerals Australia in identifying important biodiversity and ecosystems across their impact footprint and has since been expanded nationally using publicly available datasets. Note that this data collection is intended to provide a first-pass desktop assessment of biodiversity assets, and as such should not be considered as a replacement for field validation. Note: The BAR-PS6 currently represents a single point in time (July 1, 2021).