Strategic Offset Policy and Biodiversity Offset Guidelines · Report

ORDINARY MEETING                                                             17 SEPTEMBER 2026


                                                  Party offsets delivered on Council land. As such
                                                  the administration burden is low.
Long-term land commitments.                       The lands included for Offsetting will be wholly
                                                  encompassed within Council’s reserve network,
                                                  land specifically acquired and deemed highest
                                                  use for offsets and/or land within Protected
                                                  tenure such as Nature Refuges and Voluntary
                                                  Conservation Agreement areas.
Delivery risk.                                    As with any ecological restoration program, there
                                                  is a risk some offset sites may not initially
                                                  perform as expected and require adaptive
                                                  management or additional investment. As noted
                                                  above, this is an inherent risk regardless of
                                                  where/how the offsets are being delivered. The
                                                  risks are lower when specialist ecological advice
                                                  provided by the ES team is considered early in
                                                  Offset design and site selection.

POLICY NEED WITHIN AN EXISTING COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORK
Biodiversity offsets are already required under a range of Commonwealth and State legislative
frameworks and are increasingly associated with Council infrastructure projects and third-party
development proposals. While Council currently is involved in biodiversity offset arrangements
where required, there is no overarching policy or governance framework that establishes consistent
principles, decision-making criteria and delivery expectations for offset proposals.

In the absence of a formal framework, offset opportunities have historically been considered on a
case-by-case basis, resulting in an ad hoc approach to assessment, negotiation and implementation.
While this approach has enabled Council to respond to individual proposals, it does not provide clear
guidance on how offsets should align with Council's broader environmental objectives, nor does it
ensure consistent outcomes for the community.
The proposed Biodiversity Offsets Framework establishes a transparent and consistent approach to
offset management across the organisation. It provides clear principles for decision-making, defines
governance and accountability arrangements, and ensures biodiversity offsets contribute to broader
strategic outcomes, including Council's commitment to achieving no net loss of ecosystem values
and improving ecological resilience across the Shire.

Importantly, the framework creates an opportunity to maximise community benefit from offset
investments. Without a policy, offset funding and environmental investment may be directed outside
the Shire or toward isolated projects that do not contribute to broader conservation priorities. The
proposed framework provides a mechanism to strategically direct offset investment toward locally
identified environmental priorities, helping retain environmental, economic and community benefits
within Noosa wherever practicable.

The framework also reduces legal, financial and reputational risks by ensuring offsets are managed
consistently, transparently and in accordance with contemporary best practice. This provides greater
certainty for Council, the community, and external agencies seeking to partner with Council in the
delivery of biodiversity offsets.

INCLUSION STATEMENT
The Biodiversity Offsets Framework applies to biodiversity offset requirements generated by Noosa
Council activities and to offset proposals from third-party agencies seeking to deliver biodiversity
offsets within Noosa Shire. This includes agencies undertaking projects within the Shire that
generate offset obligations, as well as agencies undertaking projects outside Noosa that are seeking
to compensate for biodiversity impacts through offset delivery within the Shire