Policy for Vegetation Management Offsets 30 July 2008

Transcription

1 Policy for Vegetation Management Offsets 30 July 2008 Offset History During development of the current vegetation management framework, the Minister gave a commitment to industry stakeholders that a policy on the use of offsets would be developed within six months of the commencement of the new legislation Development of an offsets policy commenced around August

2 Offset History Oct Interim Policy for Vegetation Management Offsets released April 2006 Updated Interim Policy November 2006 Finalised Policy September 2007 Current Policy 1 July The state government released the Qld Government Environmental Offsets Policy (QGEOP). Offset Principles Offsets must be provided with a minimal time-lag between the impact and delivery of the offset at DA stage for most development within 12 months for significant community benefit. Offsets must provide environmental values that are ecologically equivalent to those being lost. Offsets must provide adequate management actions to ensure that values are achieved and maintained. Offsets cannot be used as a mechanism to approve environmental impacts that would otherwise not be approved Offsets must be legally secured for the duration of the offset requirement 2

3 The Place of Offsets in the VM framework VMA s 22A No clearing except for a relevant purpose. Concurrence Agency policies. Operational works codes Practical avoidance or mitigation Offset assessment Vegetation Management Act Triggers An offset is a possible solution for meeting: Relevant performance requirements of a Regional Vegetation Management Code via either Operational works or MCU/Ral referral; or Part H of the MCU / RaL Policy 3

4 Bio outcomes exceed Developer wants to clear native vegetation for a relevant purpose MCU/RaL Policy Assessment Part H Other Parts extent and value of cleared area Offsets Policy Pre-lodgement meeting Voluntary Code assessment Part P PR:Maintain extent of endangered and of concern vegetation Offset S22A confirmed Code assessment Part X Extractive Part S State Significant projects PR:Maintain extent of essential habitat Avoid, mitigate Or offset assessment PR:Maintain extent of watercourses Lodge application Code assessment Other ongoing purposes PR:Maintain extent of wetlands Vegetation Management Act Triggers An offset is an arrangement or agreement that guarantees to maintain the current extent, structure and function of: Endangered, of concern and threshold regional ecosystems Essential habitat Vegetation associated with watercourses and wetlands Maintain the current extent is defined as: 1. Not clearing 2. Ensuring the regional ecosystem structure and function are maintained; or 3. Providing an offset in accordance with the current offset policy 4

5 Regional Vegetation Management Code PR7 Conserving remnant endangered and of concern regional ecosystems To regulate the clearing of vegetation in a way that conserves remnant endangered and remnant of concern regional ecosystems maintain the current extent of endangered and of concern regional ecosystems Criteria Proposed offset must not be mapped as remnant vegetation unless it has a valid clearing approval that would result in the area being cleared, or it is reasonable foreseeable that the remnant vegetation will fall below the criteria for rem nant through an identified and immediate threatening process. vegetation required to be retained under conditions of a development approval Cat 1, 2, 3 or 4 area on a PMAV An area protected by another instrument of state government 5

6 Criteria continued Proposed offset must Maintain ecological processes at a subregional level Be geographically close to the area proposed for clearing Have the same pre-clearing regional ecosystem as the area proposed for clearing for clearing Certain Res of limited extent Have the same pre-clearing regional ecosystem as the area proposed for clearing when offsetting essential habitat Or, for other REs, be a pre-clearing regional ecosystem that has the same or higher conservation status and ideally be on the same landzone as the RE proposed for clearing Criteria continued The proposed offset must: be large enough to be mapped as remnant vegetation become ecologically equivalent to the area proposed for clearing, using the following factors: Location, strategic position, area, comparable vegetation community attributes, condition of vegetation, regaining remnant status, landscape context attributes (Table 1) include a management plan that specifies how the offset will be managed to ensure it achieves or maintains remnant regional ecosystems status and ecological equivalence. 6

7 Criteria continued The proposed offset must be legally secured As part of the development application before a development approval can be issued, or Where a project will result in a demonstrated high level of community benefit at a local regional or state level, and identifying the offset would unreasonably delay the project special legally binding arrangements for the offset to be provided within 12 months Targeted Offsets Opportunity to link with State biodiversity priorities Example: Bioregional wildlife corridors identified by EPA s Biodiversity Planning Assessments Enhanced likelihood of meeting equivalency requirements 7

8 Numbers 70 % state infrastructure 30% private Less than 300 ha required for about decided 45 developments Approximately 15 in pre-lodgement Questions 8