Template Library
The Template Library is a curated collection of pre-built report templates for common regulatory assessments used in Australian environmental and heritage consulting. Instead of building a report structure from scratch, you can browse the library, preview a template's sections, and clone it into your organisation with a single click.
Why the Template Library Exists
Setting up a report template correctly for a Flora & Fauna Assessment or an EPBC referral involves knowing which sections are required, their correct order, and how the auto-content bindings should be configured. The library encodes this knowledge into ready-to-use templates that comply with standard industry expectations. Templates are maintained as system-level resources — available to all organisations — and can be fully customised after cloning.
Browsing and Filtering Templates
Go to Reports → Template Library to open the library. Templates are displayed as cards showing the template name, discipline, jurisdiction, and a short description.
Use the filters at the top of the page to narrow the list:
- Category — filter by assessment type (e.g. Ecological Assessment, Archaeological Investigation, Environmental Management)
- Jurisdiction — filter by the legislative framework or state the template targets (e.g. Commonwealth, NSW, WA, All States)
- Search — full-text search across template names and descriptions
Previewing a Template
Click Preview on any template card to open the Template Preview modal. The preview shows:
- The full list of sections in order, with their titles and section types (Manual, Auto, Mixed)
- The auto-content binding type for any Auto or Mixed sections
- The total section count and a description of the template's purpose
Use the preview to confirm the template covers the sections you need before cloning it.
Using a Library Template
Click Use Template (from the card or the preview modal) to clone the template into your organisation's template library. The clone is an independent copy — changes you make to it do not affect the system template or other organisations' copies.
After cloning, you will be taken directly to the template editor where you can:
- Rename the template to match your organisation's naming conventions
- Add, remove, or reorder sections
- Update auto-content binding configurations
- Configure the cover page layout and branding settings
Customising a Cloned Template
Cloned templates behave identically to templates you create from scratch. Open Reports → Templates, find your cloned template, and click Edit to open the Template Builder.
Common customisations:
- Add your standard disclaimer section — add a Manual section at the end with your organisation's disclaimer text as default content
- Adjust auto-content bindings — change the parameters on Auto sections to match your preferred output format (e.g. group species by family, limit the observations table to 200 rows)
- Configure the cover page — open the Cover Page tab to select a layout preset and toggle the blocks you want (logo, prepared-for, document number, revision history)
- Set section authors — assign default authors and reviewers to sections so new reports using this template pre-populate the authoring workflow
Available Templates
The library includes eight pre-built regulatory assessment templates:
| Template | Discipline | Jurisdiction | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flora & Fauna Assessment (FFA) | Ecology | All States | Standard baseline ecological survey report covering flora, fauna, and threatened species |
| EPBC Referral Report | Ecology | Commonwealth | Structured to address the EPBC Act matters of national environmental significance referral criteria |
| Aboriginal Heritage Impact Assessment (AHIA) | Cultural Heritage | All States | Assessment of potential impacts to Aboriginal cultural heritage places and objects |
| Built & Historical Heritage Assessment (BDAR) | Heritage | All States | Historical heritage assessment for built environment, post-contact sites, and heritage overlays |
| Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) | Environmental Management | All States | Environmental controls and mitigation measures for construction activities |
| Project Progress Report | All Disciplines | All States | Periodic progress report for ongoing projects — survey effort, observations to date, issues |
| Archaeological Excavation Report | Archaeology | All States | Full excavation report including context register, finds catalogue, stratigraphy, and interpretation |
| Preliminary Site Investigation (PSI) | Environmental | All States | Phase 1 contamination assessment covering site history, potential sources, and receptor pathways |
Tips
- Templates are starting points. Every section can be modified after cloning — the library templates reflect common practice, not a mandatory structure.
- Clone once per project type. Clone a template and tailor it for your organisation's standard reports rather than cloning fresh for each project.
- System templates update independently. If the system template is updated (e.g. to reflect a legislative change), your cloned copies are not affected. You will need to review and manually update your copies.
- Disabled templates. Administrators can disable specific library templates for their organisation from the Template Library settings so they do not appear for other users.