How does the government invest environmental offset funds?

An offset project to compensate for impacts to eastern ground parrot habitat caused by the Sunshine Coast Airport runway extension. Learn more about the Eastern ground parrot project.

Project details and benefits:

• the eastern ground parrot has a highly restricted range on the Sunshine Coast
• an expert panel recommended Mount Coolum National Park as the best site for the offset project given the suitability of its vegetation type and connectivity to the impacted area
• baseline monitoring of the eastern ground parrot and its habitat condition is a project requirement to quantify the effectiveness of conservation outcomes.

Outcomes to date:

• a vegetation management and fire management operation on the offset site have been implemented to improve habitat condition
• maintenance of the conservation outcomes are now underway with scope for further adaptive management actions to be implemented guided by monitoring results.

An offset project to compensate for impacts to koala habitat resulting from development activity (multiple sources) in southeast Queensland.

Project details and benefits:

• the offset site has direct connectivity with known habitat for the threatened koala and is a part of the largest remaining contiguous stretch of open eucalypt forest in southeast Queensland
• on-ground management activities will enhance existing koala habitat and will be monitored and reported upon annually to track improvements.

Outcomes to date:

• the offset site has been revegetated with 760 koala habitat trees suitable to the regional ecosystem
• a management program of weed, fire and feral animal management has been implemented on the site
• monitoring indicates a stable and active population of koalas adjacent to the site, and movement throughout the offset site
• the offset site has been legally secured and is now being managed to ensure its ongoing protection.

An offset project to compensate for impacts (multiple sources) to marine plants within the Tweed-Moreton Marine Bioregion.

Project details and benefits:

• prior to project commencement, the offset site was separated from the Brisbane River by a seawall that prevented fish from accessing mangroves and reduced the dispersal of marine plant seeds
• the offset project was designed to improve local fish species diversity and increase the quality of mangrove habitat by removing the barrier caused by the seawall.

Outcomes to date:

• over 19 hectares of marine plant habitat has been legally secured through the project
• the seawall barrier has been removed, increasing water flow and providing greater opportunities for natural seed dispersal and fish passage
• post-works monitoring has shown a measurable improvement to mangrove health and increased fish diversity.

An offset project to compensate for impacts to a population of Austral toadflax (Thesium australe) resulting from the Toowoomba Bypass project in the eastern Darling Downs. Learn more about the toadflax project.

Project details and benefits:

• a regional landholder with specialist knowledge of the Austral toadflax identified several occurrences of the threatened plant on their property
• the site was confirmed as suitable to host the offset project by the department
• management actions that will protect and enhance the extent of the species are being delivered by the landholder and offset provider.

Outcomes to date:

• management actions required to meet the offset objective were designed in consultation with the Queensland Herbarium
• the number of Austral toadflax plants has been increasing on the offset site each year since the implementation of management actions (primarily controlled slashing and fire management) as verified by monitoring data.

An offset project to compensate for impacts to koala habitat resulting from mining activity in the northern Brigalow Belt.

Project details and benefits:

• an offset project to compensate for impacts to more than 3,000 hectares of koala habitat in the northern Brigalow Belt
• the offset provider will assist natural regeneration of koala habitat through managing threats such as fire, weeds and feral animals on private land that will be legally secured
• the project will also consider revegetating and managing historically cleared areas to create a self-sustaining forest with koala food and shelter trees.

Outcomes to date:

• an expert elicitation process has been undertaken to identify the most beneficial combination of site characteristics and management actions to offset impacts to koala habitat in the target area
• the landholders of identified suitable sites are now in the process of being engaged to consider hosting an offset project on their property
• as part of the project design, the offset provider is seeking to maintain compatibility of proposed management actions with existing land uses wherever possible.

An offset project to compensate for impacts to the Sunshine Coast myrtle (Lenwebbia sp.) to be delivered at several sites across the Sunshine Coast region. Learn more about the Sunshine Coast myrtle financial offset project.

Project details and benefits:

• an offset project to compensate for impacts to Sunshine Coast myrtle (7 individual plants) caused by infrastructure works in the Sunshine Coast region
• Sunshine Coast Council (offset provider) will propagate plants from myrtle rust resistant populations and plant at suitable sites across its reserve network
• the project will be delivered in accordance with the Queensland Herbarium endorsed offset management plan which outlines the management, monitoring and reporting requirements.

Outcomes to date:

• the offset provider has identified populations of Sunshine Coast myrtle that have demonstrated a resistance to myrtle rust – these will be used as the seed source for the offset project
• 500 individual tube stock have been produced in addition to nursery ‘mother’ stock as an insurance measure
• all planting of the propagated tube stock has been completed at several sites across the Sunshine Coast Region with site maintenance now under implementation.