Strategic Offset Policy and Biodiversity Offset Guidelines · Report

ORDINARY MEETING                                                              17 SEPTEMBER 2026


Potential Challenges (Cons)                       Comment
Potential variance in Offset costs compared       While costs are expected to be broadly
to State calculated Financial Contributions       comparable, some projects may incur additional
Offsetting options.                               or reduced costs comparable to the State Offset
                                                  Cost Calculator. This will depend on site
                                                  conditions, the availability of land and the offset
                                                  requirements. The draft Policy addresses any
                                                  untenable cost variances through extenuating
                                                  circumstance exemptions that may allow for the
                                                  use of State Financial Contributions Offsetting
                                                  option, enabling the offset funds to be made and
                                                  delivered outside the shire by the State instead
                                                  of Council.
Requirements for consideration                    Where offsets are required, additional planning,
in infrastructure budgets.                        monitoring and management costs must be
                                                  incorporated into project budgets from the outset.
                                                  This requirement already exists.
                                                  What this framework requires is that
                                                  Environment Services as the delivery agent for
                                                  Offsets within Council, to be involved during
                                                  project design to ensure that offset requirements
                                                  produce the highest environmental outcomes,
                                                  are delivered in the best location and that
                                                  Offsetting does not hold the delivery of capital
                                                  works projects up.
Land availability constraints.                    Suitable offset receiving sites within Noosa may
                                                  become increasingly limited over time, creating
                                                  challenges for future offset delivery. The draft
                                                  Policy addresses this through assessment of
                                                  extenuating circumstances that may cause an
                                                  offset to be delivered outside the shire.
Potential perception that offsetting              Some community members may oppose offsets
legitimises environmental impacts.                on principle and prefer all impacts be avoided,
                                                  regardless of offset outcomes. This is a common
                                                  concern associated with offset programs.
                                                  Offsets will continue to be legislatively required
                                                  of Council projects and this Framework will
                                                  provide greater confidence in their careful and
                                                  considered delivery.
Time lag between impact and ecological            While impacts occur immediately, newly
benefit.                                          established offset sites may take years to deliver
                                                  equivalent habitat values. This is an inherent
                                                  characteristic with biodiversity offsets globally.
                                                  As such it is imperative that ES is involved in
                                                  Offset design to enable the best investment with
                                                  quickest and most effective outcomes is selected
                                                  and developed.
Additional administrative responsibilities for Ongoing monitoring, reporting, governance and
Council.                                       management of offset sites will require staff
                                               resources and oversight. Our Framework
                                               proposes that these costs are factored into the
                                               project budget that generates the offset initially,
                                               or is factored into the contract costs for Third