The Department of the Environment and Science’s program of environmental offsets is to involve the protection of two important areas of natural habitat.
Minister for Environment, Leeanne Enoch said the Department was releasing two tenders that would help protect the environment in south-east Queensland and in the Northern Brigalow Belt.
“The first tender will help secure $1.3 million worth of south-east Queensland endangered eucalypt forests, while the second tender, valued at $8.6 million, will be released on 7 July to deliver offsets for the Northern Brigalow Belt koala habitat,” Ms Enoch said.
“Environmental offsets deliver positive environmental outcomes while supporting sustainable economic growth, delivering on the Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs campaign.”
She said an environmental offset compensated for the unavoidable impacts on significant environmental matters, – e.g. valuable species and ecosystems – on one site, by securing land at another and managing that land over a period of time to replace the significant environmental matters which were lost.
Ms Enoch said the 0ffsets were a proven way to compensate for rapid urban expansion, ensuring that Queensland’s unique natural assets were protected.
“Environmental offsets are one of the ways that the Government is ensuring business, Government and non-Government organisations take proactive steps to meet their environmental obligations, achieve biodiversity targets and embrace corporate and social responsibilities,” the Minister said.
