Strategic Offset Policy and Biodiversity Offset Guidelines · Report

ORDINARY MEETING                                                             17 SEPTEMBER 2026


   Risk Category              Risk              Consequence              Control        Residual
                                                                                          Risk
Health and Safety   Limited direct risk       Minimal Direct       Standard           Low
                                              Impact               operational
                                                                   procedures
Legal and           Non-compliance with Incomplete offset Alignment with              Low
Compliance          State/Commonwealth delivery -            legislative
                    offset requirements Regulatory           frameworks and
                                        penalties or project formal
                                        delays               agreements
                                                                   Inclusion of
                                                                   extenuating
                                              Impacts ability to
                                                                   circumstances
                    Land availability         deliver legally
                                                                   clause that          Low
                    constraints               required offsets
                                                                   provides for offset
                                              within the shire
                                                                   delivery outside the
                                                                   shire
Environment         Offsets fail to deliver   Net loss of         Strong policy       Low
                    genuine biodiversity      biodiversity values principles,
                    outcomes                                      monitoring, and
                                                                  adaptive
                                                                  management
                    Time lag between          Delayed ecological Advanced offsets     Low
                    impact and offset         benefit            and long-term
                    maturity                                     management
                                                                 commitments
Cyber Security      Nil                       Nil                  N/a                Low
Financial           Insufficient funding for Incomplete offset     Quarantined        Low
Management          long-term management delivery                  funding and whole-
                                                                   of-life costing
                                                                   developed prior to
                                                                   acceptance with
                                                                   contingencies
                                                                   considered.


Reputation/Public   Perception that offsets Community              Clear mitigation   Medium
Trust               legitimise              concern and            hierarchy and
                    environmental harm      reduced trust          transparent
                                                                   reporting
                    Poor performance of       Loss of confidence Utilising strong     Low
                    offsets                   in Council         expertise in project
                                              environmental      development and
                                              leadership         management.
                                                                 Monitoring,
                                                                 reporting and
                                                                 governance
                                                                 oversight.
                    Inconsistent application Stakeholder           Standardised       Low
                    of offsets               dissatisfaction       framework and
                                                                   processes