Biodiversity offsetting: implications for the oil and gas industry in Australia
Toivo ZoeteGolder Associates Pty Ltd
The APPEA Journal 50(1) 187-202 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ09012
Published: 2010
Abstract
Energy and infrastructure developments often involve or traverse extensive tracts of land that are frequently covered with stands of native vegetation, providing habitat to a range of different plant and animal species. The biodiversity (biological diversity) contained in these stands is the subject of several pieces of legislation in Australia that place restrictions and conditions on those whose activities interfere with this biodiversity. Social licence to operate is another motivation for development organisations to tread softly when it comes to preparing for activities within these zones. With sound and early planning, much interference can be prevented, but sometimes it is unavoidable and measures will need to be developed to address the resulting impacts.
Offsetting is one form of measure available to conserve biodiversity when all other options fail, although it can also be used in addition to other measures. Offsetting allows for actions to be taken by developers to compensate for adverse impacts of their developments. Several policies have been released outlining State and Commonwealth positions on biodiversity offsetting in the last few years. When seeking approvals, energy and infrastructure development organisations need to plan ahead according to these policies.
To this purpose, this paper outlines the various policy frameworks that exist for biodiversity offsetting across Australia. Implications for the oil and gas industry are provided. The industry has several characteristics that allow it to take advantage of the new policies, which are discussed. Among these are the ready access to land for offsets and, in the case of the coal seam gas industry, the availability of water to kick-start the creation or restoration of biodiversity on land that was previously cleared.
Toivo Zoete is an ecologist based in Golder Associates’ Brisbane office. Toivo has academic qualifications in resource management and ecology, including a PhD on the conservation of Melaleuca quinquenervia (Paperbarked Teatree) forested wetlands in the Moreton Region from the Queensland University of Technology. During his 20 year career, Toivo has been involved in conducting environmental studies, including numerous impact assessments, environmental management studies (including site evaluation and optimisation, linear infrastructure route selection, site selection), environmental surveys, monitoring studies, and expert witness (court) work while based in based in Brisbane, Newcastle and Sydney. His experience is both hands on as well as in project management and leading teams of scientists from a range of offices, agencies, and countries. He has worked in most major parts of Australia and New Zealand, with recent work including leading and reviewing biological studies and/or impact assessments for resource projects in Fiji, Philippines, China (Tibet), Algeria, and New Caledonia. tzoete@golder.com.au |
