Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy (Version 1.6) June 2018 Prepared by: Conservation and Biodiversity Programs, Department of Environment and Science © State of Queensland, 2018. The Queensland Government supports and encourages the dissemination and exchange of its information. The copyright in this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY) licence. Under this licence you are free, without having to seek our permission, to use this publication in accordance with the licence terms. You must keep intact the copyright notice and attribute the State of Queensland as the source of the publication. For more information on this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en If you need to access this document in a language other than English, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask them to telephone Library Services on +61 7 3170 5470. 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June 2018 2 Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy (v1.6) Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1 ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 Purpose, application and scope ..................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.2 Application and scope ............................................................................................................................. 4 1.1.3 Relationship between commonwealth, state, and local government offsets .......................................... 4 1.1.4 Self-administered offset code of compliance .......................................................................................... 5 1.1.5 Transitional provisions ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.2 Prescribed environmental matters ................................................................................................................. 6 1.2.1 Specific criteria for matters of state environmental significance ............................................................. 6 1.3 Offset principles .............................................................................................................................................. 7 1.4 Offset requirements ........................................................................................................................................ 7 1.5 Supporting materials ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 2: Prescribed environmental matters (other than protected areas) ................................................................ 8 2.1 Application of this chapter .............................................................................................................................. 8 2.2 Context ........................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.1 What all offsets must achieve under Chapter 2 ...................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 Size and scale of the offset ..................................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Types of offsets .............................................................................................................................................. 9 2.3.1 Proponent-driven offsets .............................................................................................................................. 9 2.3.2 Financial settlement offsets .................................................................................................................. 13 2.4 Delivery of offsets ......................................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.1 Notification of offset delivery ...................................................................................................................... 14 2.4.2 Agreed delivery arrangement ................................................................................................................ 15 2.4.3 Staged offset delivery............................................................................................................................ 15 2.4.4 Impacts on legally secured offset areas................................................................................................ 16 2.4.5 Strategic Offset Investment Corridors ................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 3 Protected areas ..................................................................................................................................... 18 3.1 Application of this chapter ............................................................................................................................ 18 3.2 Impacts to be offset ...................................................................................................................................... 18 3.3 Determining offset liability ............................................................................................................................ 18 3.4 Offset delivery .............................................................................................................................................. 19 Chapter 4 Review and amendment ....................................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Evaluation and review ....................................................................................................................................... 21 4.2 Policy amendment ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Appendix 1 Self-administered code of compliance .............................................................................................. 22 Appendix 2 Bioregions of Queensland ................................................................................................................. 23 Appendix 3 Defined distance ................................................................................................................................ 24 Appendix 4 Financial Settlement Offset Calculation Methodology....................................................................... 27 1 4.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................................................................. 27 4.2 Terms specific to the Financial Settlement Offset Calculation Methodology .................................................... 27 4.3 Calculation methodology ................................................................................................................................... 28 4.3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 28 4.3.2 Summary of calculation methodology ................................................................................................... 28 4.3.3 Section .................................................................................................................................................. 29 4.3.4 Distinct Matter Area............................................................................................................................... 29 4.3.5 Distinct Matter Area guiding principles.................................................................................................. 30 4.3.6 Multipliers .............................................................................................................................................. 31 4.3.7 Calculate total offset area x on-ground cost per hectare ...................................................................... 31 4.3.8 Calculate landholder incentive payment ............................................................................................... 32 4.3.9 Calculate administrative cost ................................................................................................................ 33 4.3.10 SEQ koala habitat matters variations.................................................................................................... 33 4.3.11 Protected area matters variations ......................................................................................................... 33 4.3.12 Marine and aquatic matters variations .................................................................................................