Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is increasingly used to assess land use plans in a way that is
broader in spatial, temporal and conceptual scope than traditional Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA). Meanwhile, conservation scientists have recognised that successful biodiversity conservation outcomes
rely on information about both biological priorities and the feasibility of undertaking conservation
actions. SEA provides a framework for integrating information on the social determinants of conservation
feasibility with supporting environmental legislation in order to achieve enhanced conservation outcomes.
In this paper we argue that data on the social context of land use plans are vital to ensure effective
biodiversity conservation outcomes that result from SEAs. We explore the Australian Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act (1999) (EPBC Act) as a case example of how the integration of
these data can be practically achieved within an existing legal process. While a range of social data is
relevant to this type of assessment, we focus on the use of spatially-referenced social data in the context
of land use planning. When applied to the design and implementation of land use plans, this type of
information can improve the acceptability of conservation actions, enhance environmental stewardship,
and minimise land use conflict through taking stock of the values and attitudes (precursors to behaviour)
that are relevant to proposed land use change and conservation action. Through exploring the integration
of these data into each of the stages of SEA under the EPBC Act, we show that opportunities exist to
strengthen the effectiveness of SEA in delivering conservation outcomes without altering existing legal
processes. Yet, for this to be done effectively, practitioners need to be cognisant of a range of theoretical
and methodological challenges related to the generation and interpretation of these data, as well as the
socio-political context in which they are applied