Strategic Offset Policy and Biodiversity Offset Guidelines · Attachment 1 - Strategic Offsets Policy - (Biodiversity) Final

The Biodiversity Offsets Guidelines provide a governance framework for delivering offsets
in response to unavoidable biodiversity impacts from public infrastructure and development
projects.


DEFINITIONS

 Term                     Meaning
 Additionality            A requirement that a project or activity results in biodiversity
                          outcomes unlikely to occur in the ordinary course of events in the
                          absence of the project or activity, including due to any existing
                          commitment or target publicly agreed by the entity responsible for
                          issuing the units.
 Biodiversity             The variety of life in all its forms, including the diversity of
                          genes, species, ecosystems, and the ecological processes that
                          support them.
 Biodiversity Offset      Measures undertaken to compensate for the residual adverse
                          impacts on biodiversity arising from development or other
                          activities, after all reasonable actions to avoid, minimise and
                          rehabilitate those impacts have been implemented
 Carbon Offsets           Verified actions that avoid, reduce, remove, or sequester
                          greenhouse gas emissions to compensate for emissions
                          generated elsewhere. Carbon offsets may include activities
                          such as reforestation, ecosystem restoration, renewable energy
                          projects, or other recognised carbon abatement initiatives
 First Nations            The Kabi Kabi (Gubbi Gubbi) Peoples and the Jinibara Peoples,
 People                   as the Traditional Custodians of lands and waters within and
                          adjacent to the Noosa Shire, together with other Aboriginal and
                          Torres Strait Islander peoples who live, work, or have cultural
                          connections to the area.
 Matters of State         The list of natural values and areas as described in the
 Environmental            Queensland Government’s ‘State Planning Policy 2017’.
 Significance
 (MSES)
 Matters of National      The following matters protected under the Environment
 Environmental            Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, chapter 2,
 Significance             part 3:
 (MNES)
                                 •   World heritage properties.
                                 •   National heritage places.
                                 •   Wetlands of international importance.
                                 •   Listed threatened species and communities.
                                 •   Listed migratory species.
                                 •   Commonwealth marine areas.
                                 •   Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
 Matters of Local         Are the areas included within the Biodiversity, Waterways and
 Environmental            Wetlands Overlay of the Noosa Plan 2020.
 Significance
 (MLES)
 Mitigation               A tool that is used to limit the amount of damage an action, such
 Hierarchy                as a development, will have on the environment. There are three
                          steps, and each step must be followed in order, and to the
                          greatest extent possible, before moving on to the next.

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Noosa Council Offsets Strategic Policy 2026