Where it has been determined that an environmental offset is required, the environmental offsets framework provides flexibility in relation to how an environmental offset can be delivered.
A proponent with an offset requirement may deliver their environmental offset in any of the following ways:
Where offset conditions specify, staged offsets can also be delivered.
Proponents interested in other strategic environmental offset tools available to assist them with the delivery of an environmental offset, please see Advanced Offsets, Direct Benefit Management Plans and Strategic Offset Investment Corridors.
A financial settlement offset is a payment for a significant residual impact on a prescribed environmental matter(s). It must be calculated in accordance with the Financial Settlement Offset Calculation Methodology, which is outlined in the Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy. This methodology has also been incorporated into a web-based calculator.
Calculate your financial settlement using the Financial Settlement Offset Calculator.
The required environmental offset delivery form for making a financial settlement offset payment is:
This form will need to be submitted to the relevant administering agency for the prescribed activity.
The financial settlement offset amount must be agreed to by the relevant administering agency as part of the agreed delivery arrangement. The signed agreed delivery arrangement, together with the conditioned permit and financial settlement calculator results, may then be provided to the Offset Fund Management and Delivery unit who will provide the proponent with an invoice for payment into the offsets account.
For any questions relating to the payment or invoicing of a financial settlement offset, please email the Offset Fund Management and Delivery unit financialoffsets@des.qld.gov.au
Please note: There is no refund of money paid as a financial settlement offset payment into the offsets account after the payment has occurred. For example, where there has been a financial settlement offset payment made into the offsets account, no refund will be given should the actual development result in a smaller impact than originally calculated. Furthermore, the financial settlement offset payment cannot be made into the offsets account until after the authority containing the environmental offset condition has been granted. The activity, for which the financial settlement payment relates, cannot commence until the payment is made.
A proponent-driven offset may take the form of a traditional land-based offset, be undertaken through actions under a Direct Benefit Management Plan (DBMP) or a combination of both.
An offset delivery plan is required for all proponent-driven offsets. A non-mandatory Offset Delivery Plan template (DOCX, 77KB) is available to assist you in the development of your offset delivery plan in line with the requirements under the Queensland environmental offset framework. You may choose to use or modify this template as necessary or provide an alternative offset delivery plan which meets these requirements.
Generally, all proponent-driven offsets must be legally secured. Read about the different legal security mechanisms.
The following tools and templates are available to help you deliver your land-based offsets:
The required environmental offset delivery form for providing a land-based offset is:
These forms will need to be submitted to the relevant administering agency for the prescribed activity.
Please note: The activity, for which the offset delivery plan relates, should not start until the relevant administering agency and proponent enter into an agreed delivery arrangement. Proponents should allow up to three (3) months for the assessment of an offset delivery plan by the relevant administering agency.
A combination offset consists of part proponent-driven offset and part financial settlement offset.
You may use the Combined Offset Calculator (XLSX, 30KB) to assist you in calculating the percentage breakdown of a combined proponent-driven and financial settlement offset obligation.
The required environmental offset delivery form for providing a combination offset is:
This form will need to be submitted to the relevant administering agency for the prescribed activity.
Deciding how to deliver an environmental offset, 24 Jan 2024, [https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/management/environmental/offsets/delivering]
This document is uncontrolled when printed. Before using the information in this document you should verify the current content on https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/management/environmental/offsets/delivering.