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Biodiversity Offsets

Strategically targeted, outcomes-based offsets are important to help achieve positive long-term environmental results for a protected species or community, where a project/operation may have a significant residual impact from its activities.

During the planning of resource development projects, potential impacts on protected biodiversity are addressed through avoidance and mitigation measures (based on biodiversity assessments and other studies). If significant residual impacts persist, Queensland and Commonwealth laws mandate the implementation of offsets, regulated by the Environmental Offsets Act 2014 and the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), respectively.

Large-scale resource developments, like open-cut mines or gas processing facilities, may face constraints in avoiding or mitigating impacts on biodiversity. In such cases, offsets become crucial to compensate for significant residual impacts. These offsets can involve providing land with similar protected species, supporting research, conservation programs, or a combination of actions. The regulatory framework also allows direct payments to the government for strategic investment in Queensland’s biodiversity, and in all cases the offset activity must remain in place for the life of the significant residual impact.

Collaborating with member companies and the government to implement offset policies, the QRC is focussed on outcomes-based approaches for positive, long-term environmental offset results that are sustainable whilst providing tangible value for biodiversity conservation. QRC supports a flexible offsets framework, including financial or land-based options, that ensures consistency and streamlining across jurisdictions.

QRC is currently working with the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) in:

  • Responding to the review and reform of the EPBC Act under the federal government’s Nature Positive Plan; and
  • Seeking administrative and operational improvements to the Commonwealth offsets policy and application.

QRC is also working with the Queensland Government on reforms to the Environmental Offsets Act 2014 as part of its current review, which must be completed by the Queensland before the expiry date of the Environmental Offsets Regulation and Policy on 1 September 2024.