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Department of Climate Change, Energy, Enviroment and Water

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  1. Home
  2. Environment
  3. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
  4. Referrals and environmental assessments under the EPBC Act
  5. Environmental offsets under the EPBC Act
  6. Environmental offsets guidance

Sidebar first - EN - EPBC

  • Environmental offsets
    • EPBC Act environmental offsets policy
    • Environmental offsets guidance
      • Offset policy principles
      • Offsets mitigation hierarchy
      • Direct and indirect offsets
      • Advanced environmental offsets
      • Offsets assessment guide

Environmental offsets guidance

Environmental offsets

Environmental offsets are conditions imposed on proponents, such as developers. The offsets make up for unavoidable impacts from a proponent’s actions.

  • Environmental offsets (PDF 122 KB)
  • Environmental offsets (DOC 184 KB)

Guiding principles for environmental offsets

A proposed environmental offset should be guided by ten policy principles. Based on international best-practice, these help to ensure offsets are appropriate, feasible, and beneficial.

  • Guiding principles (PDF 118 KB)
  • Guiding principles (DOC 183 KB)

Proposing an environmental offset

Your proposal should include a rationale and all required information. It should provide an evidence base, such as facts and figures needed for related calculations. Together, the required information enables an offset approval decision.

  • Proposing an environmental offset (PDF 134 KB)
  • Proposing an environmental offset (DOC 183 KB)

Assessment requirements

A suitable and feasible offset is guided by the Offset Policy principles. The department works out how well a proposed offset meets these principles. The department also uses the Offset Assessment Guide (OAG) to determine the scale of an offset.

  • Assessment requirements (PDF 115 KB)
  • Assessment requirements (DOC 183 KB)

Intermediate guides

Offset policy principles

Mitigation hierarchy

Direct and indirect offsets

Advanced environmental offsets

Offsets assessment guide

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Last updated: 27 January 2023

© Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.