Do you have a project in the pipeline where environmental impacts are unavoidable? If so, you may be required to offset the damage under the State Governments new Biodiversity Offset Policy.
The policy, which came into force on 3 October 2011, has been designed to ensure development occurs with no net loss of biodiversity. Where areas of ‘State significant biodiversity values’ are damaged, the developer must either allocate an equivalent area of land for protection or provide an offset payment.
Development affected by the policy includes level 1 mining, petroleum and gas projects, Environmentally Relevant Activities, development in the coastal zone and earthworks in a wetland protection area. A biodiversity offset may be set as a condition of approval where it can be proved that the environmental impact is unavoidable. In most cases, development for urban purposes within an urban area will not require an offset.
The process works by identifying a regional ecosystem of equivalent size and biodiversity value as the proposed area to be cleared or damaged. The identified area must then be legally secured and managed, ensuring its biodiversity is protected from future development. The developer can choose to undertake this privately or provide an offset payment for it to be carried out by a third party.
Habitats which may contain State significant biodiversity values include, but are not limited to, wetlands, watercourses, eucalypt and melaleuca forests, rainforest, remnant scrub, native grassland, mangroves and brigalow woodlands.
To find out if your project may impact on any of these habitats, visit the Department of Environment and Resource Management website or contact a qualified environmental consultant.
The population of Queensland has grown substantially in recent times and at the same time mining exploration activities have been increasing. As the buffer between the urban areas and exploration activities decreases, communities and local government are becoming increasingly concerned about exploration activities close to urban areas.
As a result, in August 2011, the Queensland Government announced a temporary freeze on new applications for mining exploration in urban areas.
In order to protect the interests of those living in urban and semi-rural areas, the State Government has declared certain areas as ‘Restricted Area’ under the Mineral Resources Act 1989. Restricted Areas are as follows:
Towns within the Restricted Area in the Bowen Basin include:
As a result of the declaration, the State Government will not accept applications for any exploration permits within the Restricted Areas. The declaration will impact on any new mineral and coal exploration permit application excluding industrial minerals (inc. clay, quartz, sandstone).
Additionally, holders of exploration tenures will be requested to voluntarily surrender areas from their tenure within the Restricted Areas.
These restrictions are intended as a temporary measure to ease the concerns of communities. The State Government aims to develop a permanent solution with local governments, communities and industry stakeholders.
We all know about Clean-Up Australia Day but have you heard of the new national Clean-Up day for Mackay?
The Mackay Regional Council has just announced it will no longer participate in the annual Clean- Up Australia Day event held in March. Instead, it will now champion the annual Great Northern Clean-Up Day which is to be held every year in September.
Mackay residents will now be able to help to clean up our region during spring in an effort to be Sun Smart……………and avoid the usual rains autumn brings!
The September Clean-Up Day event brings many additional advantages including escaping the typically extremely hot and exhausting weather, reducing exposure to harmful UV rays and most importantly, it also provides us a chance to clean up waste prior to the wet season.
Mackay Regional Council is hoping by scheduling the Great Northern Clean-Up Day event in September that more members of the community will have the opportunity to volunteer/sign up and take part, including the elderly which are sometimes limited by the hot weather.
It is anticipated that more than 500 volunteers will take part in the first ever Great Northern Clean-Up Day event in Mackay on Sunday 11 September. It is also hoped that collection of rubbish from the Great Northern Clean-Up Day will eclipse March’s Clean-Up Australia total of 5.4 tonnes!
To make your difference, contact Mackay Regional Council on 1300 MACKAY (622 529) or by registering on the Clean-Up Australia Day website: www.cleanupaustraliaday.org.au.
Many people find that an encounter with some of our unique native wildlife is a very exciting and exhilarating experience. While many people want to get as close as possible to an animal, it is important not to disturb them. This is most important when they are nesting or feeding their young.
Queensland provides the perfect location for people to witness two very special wildlife events.
Every winter humpback whales migrate up and down the eastern coastline of Australia from Antarctica during late autumn. They travel to the warmer waters during the winter to breed and give birth and start to head back south from July to August. One of the best places to see them is in our very own backyard, the Whitsundays. There are legal regulations in place which ensure that whales are not harassed or disturbed during their long migration.
Summer time sees marine turtles come ashore to lay their eggs. This is a ritual that has occurred along parts of the Queensland coast for thousands of years. Sea turtles are timid animals and during nesting they are easily disturbed by light noise and movement. Nesting females are best seen after dark from November to February and hatchlings can be seen emerging from mid January to late March at night.
Human activities and interference have had substantial impacts on both species so it is important that people follow regulations and recommended behaviours around these animals. In doing so, you will enjoy a memorable experience while respecting these animals in their natural environment.
Competing land uses have become a highly publicised issue in recent months, with the age old agriculture verses mining debate continuing. The expansion of residential estates into traditionally agricultural areas and new industries such as coal seam gas have left many concerned about the loss of highly productive agricultural land.
In response, the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) announced the Strategic Cropping Land policy framework in August 2010. The policy has now been finalised and is expected to be implemented later this year. In the meantime, transitional arrangements requiring new projects to consider effects on Strategic Cropping Land have been implemented and took effect from 31 May 2011. Further information on the transitional arrangements is available at:
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/land/planning/strategic-cropping/index.html
Maps of areas in which Strategic Cropping Land is expected to occur have been released and can be viewed at:
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/land/planning/strategic-cropping/mapping.html
Proposed criteria for identifying Strategic Cropping Land were released by the DERM in April 2011. These criteria identify thresholds in soil characteristics relating to slope, soil depth, soil pH and salinity which will trigger the land to be classified as Strategic Cropping Land. Thresholds for these criteria vary for different parts of the state. Although this criterion is not concrete, it has been designed to enable assessment of whether a property’s soils can be categorised as Strategic Cropping Land. The proposed criteria can be viewed at:
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/land/planning/strategic-cropping/index.html
Further guidelines about how to apply the criteria at a property level are expected to be released by DERM in the near future.
The recent long weekends presented a fantastic opportunity for locals to visit the great outdoors. If you’re looking at camping at a national park, state forest, recreation area or forest reserve, there are a number of legal requirements which must be observed.
Places such as national parks and state forests require you to have a permit prior to camping. Your campsite tag must be displayed immediately after making camp and for the duration of your stay. Permits can be applied for through the Department of Environment and Resources (DERM) website.
Animals, including the family dog, are not permitted in National Parks. National Parks are protected areas, so all plants, animals and natural and cultural resources must not be disturbed or damaged. Some state forests and recreational areas do allow dogs but they must be kept on a leash and under control at all times.
All rubbish must be disposed of in the bins provided or if there are no bins, taken with you when you leave. Do not bury rubbish or leave it in fireplaces. Pollution of water courses is strictly prohibited. Pollution sources include soap, detergents, shampoo, oil and grease. If a camping ground does not have toilet facilities, human waste must be buried at least 50cm deep and at least 50m from any watercourse, walking track, campsites or public facility.
Further information on camping at national parks, state forests, recreational areas or forest reserves, can be found at www.derm.qld.gov.au. Happy camping for the last long weekend of the year in June!
During 2011, the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) implemented a temporary State Planning Policy (Protecting Wetlands of High Ecological Significance in Great Barrier Reef Catchments) to protect coastal wetlands from inappropriate development. This temporary policy is due to expire in May this year and a permanent policy with the same name has been drafted for implementation.
The draft policy aims to protect both coastal and inland freshwater wetlands in Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchment areas from high impact earthworks and ensure that such wetlands can continue to provide a filtering effect to water flowing to the GBR. Specifically, the policy applies to wetlands designated by the DERM as having a High Ecological Significance (HES). Such wetlands can be identified through a free lot on plan search through the DERM. Wetlands which are designated as being of HES have a 500m assessable development trigger area in rural zones and 100m assessable development trigger area in urban zones for development which includes high impact earthworks.
Activities defined as high impact earthworks may include:
The draft State Planning Policy Protecting Wetlands of High Ecological Significance in Great Barrier Reef Catchments is available on the DERM website at http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/ecosystems/draft-spp.html and is open for comment until 28 April 2011.
For a free lot and plan search through the DERM go to: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-ecosystems/ecosystems/referable-wetlands-form-draft-spp.php
