Austral toadflax financial offset project: a case study

An environmental offset compensates for unavoidable impacts on significant environmental matters (e.g. threatened species and ecosystems) on one site, by securing and managing land at another site to counterbalance that impact.

This case study illustrates how the Queensland Government’s Environmental Offset Account is utilising funds to compensate for impacts to a population of Austral toadflax (Thesium australe) resulting from the Toowoomba Bypass project in the eastern Darling Downs.

Case study

Austral toadflax is a yellow-green perennial herb found in grasslands and grassy woodlands and is unusual in that it requires another plant to act as a host. It is an inconspicuous parasitic plant, and little was known about the ecology of the species or its occurrences in the eastern Darling Downs. This presented a unique challenge in identifying a suitable offset site.

A regional landholder with specialist knowledge of the species identified several occurrences of toadflax on their property and expressed an interest in providing the offset site required to replace the impact from the Toowoomba Bypass.

A survey confirmed toadflax was present and the land use and site conditions were suitable for an offset project.

An offset delivery plan was developed in consultation with the Queensland Herbarium and an agreement signed to ensure the offset is protected in perpetuity.

Conservation outcome

The offset project will establish four times the amount of plants that were impacted from the Toowoomba Bypass development.

The offset area has been split into three Offset Management Units, each with individual management requirements to achieve the greatest conservation outcome given site specifics. These include:

1. No livestock grazing, with the exception of limited grazing for hazard fuel reduction when necessary.
2. Limited conservation grazing to assist with hazard fuel reduction and weed management as required.
3. Targeted woody vegetation management to reduce competition and shading for ideal toadflax growing conditions.

Financial offset project benefits

• the threatened plant species will be monitored and adaptively managed
• the population will be protected in perpetuity on the offset site
• the landholder, as offset provider, receives payments for managing the offset areas
• the landowner has diversified income streams while assisting with the conservation of a threatened species.

If you are interested in providing an environmental offset or would like further information about offset delivery, please email financialoffsets@des.qld.gov.au