Finding an environmental offset site

Proponents are encouraged to utilise DBMPs as they provide a way to manage the risks associated with the time delay in finding a suitable offset site and contain pre-approved management strategies to achieve a conservation outcome for the relevant impacted prescribed environmental matter.

Using a DBMP to deliver an environmental offset obligation

Before a DBMP can be used as part of a proponent-driven offset it must first be approved by the relevant administering agency for that MSES and the Department of Environment and Science, or if the matter is regulated by a local government, by that local government.

In assessing the suitability of using a DBMP as part of an offset delivery approach, the administering agency will consider the ability of the proposed management actions within the DBMP to achieve a conservation outcome for the relevant prescribed environmental matters conditioned to be offset as part of the authority.

The DBMP must be nominated in the application and include the completed form:

• Application for a Notice of Election Form

DBMPs can extend or operationalise existing or planned conservation programs. For example, a DBMP could be developed for a MSES to assist in delivering currently unfunded actions or extend the life or area covered by existing programs.

DBMPs could assist in forging commercial arrangements between a DBMP author and an offset provider. Approved DBMPs are listed on the publicly available Offsets register which advertises government endorsed DBMPs to interested parties.

The author may choose to combine listing the DBMP with an advanced offset over lands covered by the DBMP.

Registering a DBMP does not guarantee that it will be selected as part of an offset delivery approach.

Once you have determined what MSES your DBMP will address, check the offsets register to see if there have been any conditioned impacts for those MSES. If there are conditioned impacts for those MSES, then it is possible that a plan such as yours will be in demand.

A DBMP must be prepared in accordance with the criteria outlined in section 2.3.1.2 and Appendix 6 of the Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy.

To be approved, a DBMP must:

• Identify the MSES
• Identify key threats and relevant management actions for the MSES
• Demonstrate that a conservation outcome for the MSES can be achieved
• Describe each management action including proposed methods, timeframes and standards to be applied
• Provide a risk analysis for management objectives and outcomes
• Detail the performance criteria to monitor success of the management actions
• Provide indicative costings of the management actions
• Provide an indication of landholder support
• Provide an indication of where legal security may be needed to meet the objectives of the DBMP.

To be pre-approved, a DBMP application must meet the criteria outlined in Appendix 6 of the Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy.

To submit a DBMP, you must email the DBMP and the Application for the pre-approval of a Direct Benefit Management Plan Form to Offsets@des.qld.gov.au.

On approval the DBMP will be listed on the departments website.

We will coordinate the approval from the State agency responsible for the declaration and management of the relevant MSES.

We are collecting your personal information to register you on a database of registered Direct Benefit Management Plan (DBMP) developers as legislated under Section 90 of the Environmental Offsets Act 2014, and Section 14 of the Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014. We will also use your information to contact you:

• about delivering environmental offsets, including DBMP registration for priority environmental values (which change over time depending on what environmental values are being impacted)
• to provide you with information about interested parties or local governments who have contacted the department with enquiries about your listed potential environmental offset site
• to ask for feedback on the effectiveness of this DBMP process and other elements of Queensland's environmental offset framework.

The following details will be included in the Offsets Register:

• name of the DBMP and the lot and plan numbers
• the size of the DBMP site
• the environmental values present.

In the event that interested parties contact the department with an enquiry about your listed site, we will only provide information that you have consented to share via the Environmental Offset Delivery forms submitted with your application.

Your DBMP site registration information may be shared with the relevant local government to the extent necessary to ensure correct property information and to facilitate contacts from interested parties.

All local governments in Queensland are bound to comply with the Information Privacy Act 2009. We will not otherwise disclose your personal information without your consent unless authorised or required by law. You will be able to opt-out from receiving information, or be removed from our contact register, at any time by emailing the Offsets Policy team at offsets@des.qld.gov.au. For more privacy information see the department’s privacy page.