<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/03/australia-biodiversity-offset-system-land-restoration>
"A review of some of the areas chosen for nature restoration as part of
Australia’s biodiversity offset system has found a third are in worse condition
than before, prompting fresh warnings that the scheme is increasing the risk of
animals and plants going extinct.
In one instance, the majority of a site that should have provided grey-headed
flying fox and koala habitat was found to be “cleared paddock with negligible
foraging value”.
Two other sites were found to have land that overlapped with other existing
offset sites.
The federal environment department commissioned the review of 20 offset sites –
10 in south-west and central Victoria and 10 in south-east Queensland – to
“ground truth” whether developer offsets were meeting their aims of protecting
and improving threatened species habitat.
Biodiversity offsetting is a policy used around Australia. The system allows
developers to compensate for the environmental damage they cause in one area by
pledging work to deliver an equivalent or greater benefit in another.
The review, published last Friday, found that 55% of the sites examined had
maintained the environmental conditions documented in the developer’s original
offset management plan and other associated reports.
But in 30% – six out of the 20 sites – the conditions were worse."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
