This regulation sets the operational rules for environmental offsets in Queensland: it lists which activities and environmental matters require offsets, prescribes what an offset delivery plan must contain, identifies legally secured and “advanced” offsets, requires agencies to keep registers, and sets internal and external review and appeal routes. It assigns decision‑makers (chief executive, administering agencies, local governments) and procedural timeframes. It affects developers/proponents who must provide offsets or pay settlements, landowners offering offset land, and the public agencies that approve, record and review offset arrangements.
This regulation prescribes technical and procedural detail for the operation of the Environmental Offsets Act framework. It does not itself create new substantive offences or new offset obligations, instead it specifies what counts as prescribed activities and environmental matters, what must appear in offset delivery plans, which land types are treated as legally secured offset areas, the form and registration process for advanced offsets, how administering agencies must keep registers, and the administrative review and appeal pathways available in relation to offset decisions.
Mechanically, the regulation:
Prescribes the list of activities for the Act’s s 9 by reference to schedule 1 (s 4). The text provided does not reproduce schedule 1, but s 4 makes that schedule operative for s 9 of the Act.
Identifies which matters are "prescribed environmental matters" for the Act’s s 10(1)(a) and (b) by listing particular Commonwealth matters (World Heritage, National Heritage, Ramsar, threatened species and ecological communities, migratory species, Commonwealth marine areas, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, and certain water resources) in s 5(1), and by treating matters of State environmental significance in schedule 2 as prescribed for s 10(1)(b) (s 5(2)). S 5(3) excludes some state matters when located in an urban area and s 5(4) sets conditions for local environmental significance to be prescribed. The regulation therefore allocates which environmental features trigger offset considerations under the Act (s 5).
Prescribes the environmental offsets policy to be the document "Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy (version 1.17)" published on the department’s website (s 6). The regulation therefore fixes a single reference policy that decision‑makers must have regard to (see s 14(2), s 15(2)).
Current sections
Direct links to the current provisions in Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014.
56
pt.1
Preliminary
Preliminary
sec.1
Short title
sec.1 Short title
This regulation may be cited as the Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014 .
sec.2
Commencement
sec.2 Commencement
This regulation commences on 1 July 2014.
sec.3
Definitions
sec.3 Definitions
The dictionary in schedule 3 defines particular words used in this regulation.
pt.2
Interpretation
Interpretation
sec.4
Prescribed activities— Act , s 9
sec.4 Prescribed activities— Act , s 9
Each activity mentioned in schedule 1 is prescribed for section 9 (c) of the Act .
sec.5
Prescribed environmental matters— Act , s 10
sec.5 Prescribed environmental matters— Act , s 10
For section 10 (1) (a) of the Act , each of the following matters of national environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter—
a declared World Heritage property within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 13 (1) ;
a National Heritage place within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 324C (3) ;
a declared Ramsar wetland within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 17 ;
a threatened species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 178 of that Act;
a threatened ecological community within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 181 of that Act;
a migratory species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 209 of that Act;
a Commonwealth marine area within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 24 ;
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) ;
a water resource, within the meaning of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) , to the extent the taking of action mentioned in section 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act in relation to the water resource is prohibited under either of those sections.
For section 10 (1) (b) of the Act , each matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 is a prescribed environmental matter.
However, each of the following matters of State environmental significance is not a prescribed environmental matter to the extent the matter of State environmental significance is in an urban area—
a prescribed regional ecosystem mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (2) to (5) or 3 (2) ;
a designated precinct mentioned in schedule 2 , section 5 (1) ;
a marine plant mentioned in schedule 2 , section 11 ;
any part of a waterway mentioned in schedule 2 , section 10 (1) .
For section 10 (1) (c) of the Act , a matter of local environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter if—
an environmental offset for the matter is required under a local planning instrument; and
the matter is not the same, or substantially the same, as—
a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or
a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or
a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
In this section—
Commonwealth Environment Act means the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) .
urban area see the Planning Regulation 2017 , schedule 24 .
s 5 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 4 ; 2017 SL No. 103 s 41 ; 2018 SL No. 56 s 3
(sec.5-ssec.1) For section 10 (1) (a) of the Act , each of the following matters of national environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter— a declared World Heritage property within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 13 (1) ; a National Heritage place within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 324C (3) ; a declared Ramsar wetland within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 17 ; a threatened species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 178 of that Act; a threatened ecological community within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 181 of that Act; a migratory species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 209 of that Act; a Commonwealth marine area within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 24 ; the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) ; a water resource, within the meaning of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) , to the extent the taking of action mentioned in section 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act in relation to the water resource is prohibited under either of those sections.
(sec.5-ssec.2) For section 10 (1) (b) of the Act , each matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 is a prescribed environmental matter.
(sec.5-ssec.3) However, each of the following matters of State environmental significance is not a prescribed environmental matter to the extent the matter of State environmental significance is in an urban area— a prescribed regional ecosystem mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (2) to (5) or 3 (2) ; a designated precinct mentioned in schedule 2 , section 5 (1) ; a marine plant mentioned in schedule 2 , section 11 ; any part of a waterway mentioned in schedule 2 , section 10 (1) .
(sec.5-ssec.4) For section 10 (1) (c) of the Act , a matter of local environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter if— an environmental offset for the matter is required under a local planning instrument; and the matter is not the same, or substantially the same, as— a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
(sec.5-ssec.5) In this section— Commonwealth Environment Act means the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) . urban area see the Planning Regulation 2017 , schedule 24 .
(a) a declared World Heritage property within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 13 (1) ;
(b) a National Heritage place within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 324C (3) ;
(c) a declared Ramsar wetland within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 17 ;
(d) a threatened species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 178 of that Act;
(e) a threatened ecological community within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 181 of that Act;
(f) a migratory species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 209 of that Act;
(g) a Commonwealth marine area within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 24 ;
(h) the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) ;
(i) a water resource, within the meaning of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) , to the extent the taking of action mentioned in section 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act in relation to the water resource is prohibited under either of those sections.
(a) a prescribed regional ecosystem mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (2) to (5) or 3 (2) ;
(b) a designated precinct mentioned in schedule 2 , section 5 (1) ;
(c) a marine plant mentioned in schedule 2 , section 11 ;
(d) any part of a waterway mentioned in schedule 2 , section 10 (1) .
(a) an environmental offset for the matter is required under a local planning instrument; and
(b) the matter is not the same, or substantially the same, as— (i) a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or (ii) a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or (iii) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
(i) a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or
(ii) a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or
(iii) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
(i) a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or
(ii) a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or
(iii) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
sec.6
Environmental offsets policy— Act , s 12
sec.6 Environmental offsets policy— Act , s 12
For section 12 (1) of the Act , the document called ‘Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy (version 1.17)’ and published on the department’s website is prescribed to be an environmental offsets policy.
s 6 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 5 ; 2016 SL No. 104 s 2 (2) sch 1 ; 2017 SL No. 67 s 3 ; 2017 SL No. 103 s 42 ; 2018 SL No. 56 s 4 ; 2018 SL No. 97 s 4 ; 2019 SL No. 150 s 3 ; 2020 SL No. 9 s 4 ; 2020 SL No. 136 s 423 ; 2021 SL No. 36 s 3 ; 2021 SL No. 165 s 4 ; 2022 SL No. 37 s 3 ; 2022 SL No. 166 s 3 ; 2023 SL No. 77 s 3 ; 2023 SL No. 186 s 3 ; 2024 SL No. 196 s 4 ; 2025 SL No. 42 s 4
sec.7
Legally secured offset areas— Act , s 29
sec.7 Legally secured offset areas— Act , s 29
Each of the following areas of land is prescribed for section 29 (1) (a) (iii) of the Act —
an area the subject of a covenant under the Land Act 1994 , section 373A or the Land Title Act 1994 , section 97A ;
a declared fish habitat area under the Fisheries Act 1994 , section 120 ;
a highly protected area under the Marine Parks Act 2004 , schedule.
For section 29 (3) (b) of the Act , each area mentioned in section 29 (1) or (2) of the Act is prescribed as legally secured for the purposes of the other Act.
s 7 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 6
(sec.7-ssec.1) Each of the following areas of land is prescribed for section 29 (1) (a) (iii) of the Act — an area the subject of a covenant under the Land Act 1994 , section 373A or the Land Title Act 1994 , section 97A ; a declared fish habitat area under the Fisheries Act 1994 , section 120 ; a highly protected area under the Marine Parks Act 2004 , schedule.
(sec.7-ssec.2) For section 29 (3) (b) of the Act , each area mentioned in section 29 (1) or (2) of the Act is prescribed as legally secured for the purposes of the other Act.
(a) an area the subject of a covenant under the Land Act 1994 , section 373A or the Land Title Act 1994 , section 97A ;
(b) a declared fish habitat area under the Fisheries Act 1994 , section 120 ;
(c) a highly protected area under the Marine Parks Act 2004 , schedule.
pt.3
Requirements about offset conditions
Requirements about offset conditions
sec.8
Requirements for offset delivery plans— Act , s 18 (4) (d)
sec.8 Requirements for offset delivery plans— Act , s 18 (4) (d)
For the Act , section 18 (4) (d) , this section prescribes other requirements that an offset delivery plan must satisfy.
The offset delivery plan must—
describe the prescribed environmental matter to which the offset condition relates; and
state whether the offset condition will be delivered, wholly or partly, on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
include particulars of, or a description sufficient to identify, the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
identify, and contain details of, any person with an interest in the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
describe the existing land use of the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken and any impact that land use may have on the delivery of the offset; and
state—
the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and
why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and
the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and
why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
s 8 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 7
(sec.8-ssec.1) For the Act , section 18 (4) (d) , this section prescribes other requirements that an offset delivery plan must satisfy.
(sec.8-ssec.2) The offset delivery plan must— describe the prescribed environmental matter to which the offset condition relates; and state whether the offset condition will be delivered, wholly or partly, on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and include particulars of, or a description sufficient to identify, the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and identify, and contain details of, any person with an interest in the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and describe the existing land use of the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken and any impact that land use may have on the delivery of the offset; and state— the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
(a) describe the prescribed environmental matter to which the offset condition relates; and
(b) state whether the offset condition will be delivered, wholly or partly, on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
(c) include particulars of, or a description sufficient to identify, the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
(d) identify, and contain details of, any person with an interest in the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
(e) describe the existing land use of the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken and any impact that land use may have on the delivery of the offset; and
(f) state— (i) the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and (ii) why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and (iii) the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and (iv) why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
(i) the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and
(ii) why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and
(iii) the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and
(iv) why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
(i) the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and
(ii) why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and
(iii) the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and
(iv) why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
sec.9
Matters administering agency to consider— Act , s 19
sec.9 Matters administering agency to consider— Act , s 19
For the Act , section 19 (1) (b) , this section prescribes matters to which the administering agency must consider.
For an offset delivery plan given to the administering agency, the agency must consider the following matters—
whether the plan satisfies the requirements of the Act , section 18 (4) ;
whether an activity proposed to be taken under the plan is restricted or prohibited, or requires permission, under any law;
the impact undertaking the environmental offset under the plan will, or is likely to, have on other prescribed environmental matters on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken.
s 9 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 8
(sec.9-ssec.1) For the Act , section 19 (1) (b) , this section prescribes matters to which the administering agency must consider.
(sec.9-ssec.2) For an offset delivery plan given to the administering agency, the agency must consider the following matters— whether the plan satisfies the requirements of the Act , section 18 (4) ; whether an activity proposed to be taken under the plan is restricted or prohibited, or requires permission, under any law; the impact undertaking the environmental offset under the plan will, or is likely to, have on other prescribed environmental matters on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken.
(a) whether the plan satisfies the requirements of the Act , section 18 (4) ;
(b) whether an activity proposed to be taken under the plan is restricted or prohibited, or requires permission, under any law;
(c) the impact undertaking the environmental offset under the plan will, or is likely to, have on other prescribed environmental matters on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken.
pt.4
Declaration of environmental offset protection area
Declaration of environmental offset protection area
sec.10
Prescribed land— Act , s 30
sec.10 Prescribed land— Act , s 30
For section 30 (8) of the Act , definition person with an interest in land , paragraph (c) , a forest consent area under the Forestry Act 1959 is prescribed.
s 10 prev s 10 sub 2014 SL No. 295 s 9
amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 43
om 2020 SL No. 9 s 5
pres s 10 ins 2024 SL No. 196 s 5
pt.5
Amending or revoking declaration of environmental offset protection area
Amending or revoking declaration of environmental offset protection area
sec.11
Amending declaration of environmental offset protection area— Act , s 33
sec.11 Amending declaration of environmental offset protection area— Act , s 33
This section applies if—
a declaration of an environmental offset protection area was made under section 30 of the Act ; and
the environmental offset agreement entered into under section 26 of the Act is varied by another environmental offset agreement (the later agreement ) under section 28 of the Act ; and
the variation had the effect of increasing the area of land covered by the environmental offset agreement.
The chief executive may, by written notice given to an owner of the area of land, amend the declaration of the environmental offset protection area related to the environmental offset agreement to show the new area covered by the later agreement.
However, the chief executive must not amend the declaration of an environmental offset protection area unless the chief executive reasonably believes—
the additional area by which the environmental offset protection area is to be increased may be used to deliver an environmental offset; and
the later agreement and its offset delivery plan are designed to achieve a conservation outcome; and
each person with an interest in the land within the additional area has consented to the declaration.
(sec.11-ssec.1) This section applies if— a declaration of an environmental offset protection area was made under section 30 of the Act ; and the environmental offset agreement entered into under section 26 of the Act is varied by another environmental offset agreement (the later agreement ) under section 28 of the Act ; and the variation had the effect of increasing the area of land covered by the environmental offset agreement.
(sec.11-ssec.2) The chief executive may, by written notice given to an owner of the area of land, amend the declaration of the environmental offset protection area related to the environmental offset agreement to show the new area covered by the later agreement.
(sec.11-ssec.3) However, the chief executive must not amend the declaration of an environmental offset protection area unless the chief executive reasonably believes— the additional area by which the environmental offset protection area is to be increased may be used to deliver an environmental offset; and the later agreement and its offset delivery plan are designed to achieve a conservation outcome; and each person with an interest in the land within the additional area has consented to the declaration.
(a) a declaration of an environmental offset protection area was made under section 30 of the Act ; and
(b) the environmental offset agreement entered into under section 26 of the Act is varied by another environmental offset agreement (the later agreement ) under section 28 of the Act ; and
(c) the variation had the effect of increasing the area of land covered by the environmental offset agreement.
(a) the additional area by which the environmental offset protection area is to be increased may be used to deliver an environmental offset; and
(b) the later agreement and its offset delivery plan are designed to achieve a conservation outcome; and
(c) each person with an interest in the land within the additional area has consented to the declaration.
sec.12
Revoking declaration of environmental offset protection area— Act , s 33
sec.12 Revoking declaration of environmental offset protection area— Act , s 33
This section applies if a declaration of an environmental offset protection area was made under section 30 of the Act .
The chief executive may, by written notice given to an owner of the area of land, revoke the declaration if the chief executive reasonably considers—
the declaration is not in the interests of the State having regard to the public interest; or
the requirements of the environmental offset agreement and any relevant offset delivery plan for the environmental offset have been achieved; or
both of the following apply to the area—
there is a prescribed activity approved to be carried out in the area for which there is an environmental offset condition;
the holder of the authority for the activity has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement in relation to providing an environmental offset for significant residual impacts to the area.
(sec.12-ssec.1) This section applies if a declaration of an environmental offset protection area was made under section 30 of the Act .
(sec.12-ssec.2) The chief executive may, by written notice given to an owner of the area of land, revoke the declaration if the chief executive reasonably considers— the declaration is not in the interests of the State having regard to the public interest; or the requirements of the environmental offset agreement and any relevant offset delivery plan for the environmental offset have been achieved; or both of the following apply to the area— there is a prescribed activity approved to be carried out in the area for which there is an environmental offset condition; the holder of the authority for the activity has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement in relation to providing an environmental offset for significant residual impacts to the area.
(a) the declaration is not in the interests of the State having regard to the public interest; or
(b) the requirements of the environmental offset agreement and any relevant offset delivery plan for the environmental offset have been achieved; or
(c) both of the following apply to the area— (i) there is a prescribed activity approved to be carried out in the area for which there is an environmental offset condition; (ii) the holder of the authority for the activity has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement in relation to providing an environmental offset for significant residual impacts to the area.
(i) there is a prescribed activity approved to be carried out in the area for which there is an environmental offset condition;
(ii) the holder of the authority for the activity has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement in relation to providing an environmental offset for significant residual impacts to the area.
(i) there is a prescribed activity approved to be carried out in the area for which there is an environmental offset condition;
(ii) the holder of the authority for the activity has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement in relation to providing an environmental offset for significant residual impacts to the area.
pt.6
Advanced offsets
Advanced offsets
sec.13
Definition for part
sec.13 Definition for part
In this part—
decision-maker means—
for an area of land to be identified as an advanced offset for a matter of local environmental significance for which an environmental offset may be required under a local planning instrument—the relevant local government; or
for an area of land to be identified as an advanced offset for a matter of State or national environmental significance for which an environmental offset may be required by the State—the chief executive.
s 13 def decision-maker amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 44 (2) ; 2020 SL No. 9 s 6
State planning regulatory provision ...
s 13 def State planning regulatory provision om 2017 SL No. 103 s 44 (3)
s 13 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 10 ; 2017 SL No. 103 s 44 (1)
(a) for an area of land to be identified as an advanced offset for a matter of local environmental significance for which an environmental offset may be required under a local planning instrument—the relevant local government; or
(b) for an area of land to be identified as an advanced offset for a matter of State or national environmental significance for which an environmental offset may be required by the State—the chief executive.
sec.14
Identification and registration of advanced offsets— Act , ss 90 (1) (b) and 93 (2) (b)
sec.14 Identification and registration of advanced offsets— Act , ss 90 (1) (b) and 93 (2) (b)
An owner of land may apply to the decision-maker in the approved form for an area of land to be identified as an advanced offset.
In deciding the application, the decision-maker must have regard to any relevant environmental offsets policy.
The decision-maker may—
approve the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset; or
approve the identification of part of an area of land as an advanced offset; or
refuse the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset.
As soon as practicable after the decision to approve the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset is made, the decision-maker must register the area as an advanced offset in the register kept under section 90 of the Act .
If the decision-maker decides to refuse the application, the decision-maker must, as soon as practicable after making the decision, give the applicant an information notice about the decision.
An owner of land may, at any time, apply to the decision-maker in the approved form for an area of land registered as an advanced offset to no longer be identified as an advanced offset and to be removed from the register.
As soon as practicable after an application under subsection (6) is made, the decision-maker must ensure that the record for the advanced offset in the register kept under section 90 of the Act is removed.
(sec.14-ssec.1) An owner of land may apply to the decision-maker in the approved form for an area of land to be identified as an advanced offset.
(sec.14-ssec.2) In deciding the application, the decision-maker must have regard to any relevant environmental offsets policy.
(sec.14-ssec.3) The decision-maker may— approve the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset; or approve the identification of part of an area of land as an advanced offset; or refuse the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset.
(sec.14-ssec.4) As soon as practicable after the decision to approve the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset is made, the decision-maker must register the area as an advanced offset in the register kept under section 90 of the Act .
(sec.14-ssec.5) If the decision-maker decides to refuse the application, the decision-maker must, as soon as practicable after making the decision, give the applicant an information notice about the decision.
(sec.14-ssec.6) An owner of land may, at any time, apply to the decision-maker in the approved form for an area of land registered as an advanced offset to no longer be identified as an advanced offset and to be removed from the register.
(sec.14-ssec.7) As soon as practicable after an application under subsection (6) is made, the decision-maker must ensure that the record for the advanced offset in the register kept under section 90 of the Act is removed.
(a) approve the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset; or
(b) approve the identification of part of an area of land as an advanced offset; or
(c) refuse the identification of an area of land as an advanced offset.
sec.15
Amendment of registration of advanced offsets
sec.15 Amendment of registration of advanced offsets
An owner of land that has been registered under section 14 may, at any time, apply to the decision-maker in the approved form for a boundary of an area of land identified as an advanced offset to be amended.
In deciding the application, the decision-maker must have regard to the environmental offsets policy.
The decision-maker may, by written notice given to the owner—
approve the application; or
refuse the application.
As soon as practicable after the decision to approve the application is made, the decision-maker must ensure that the record for the area of land identified as an advanced offset in the register kept under section 90 of the Act is amended.
If the decision-maker decides to refuse the application, the decision-maker must, as soon as practicable after making the decision, give the applicant an information notice about the decision.
(sec.15-ssec.1) An owner of land that has been registered under section 14 may, at any time, apply to the decision-maker in the approved form for a boundary of an area of land identified as an advanced offset to be amended.
(sec.15-ssec.2) In deciding the application, the decision-maker must have regard to the environmental offsets policy.
(sec.15-ssec.3) The decision-maker may, by written notice given to the owner— approve the application; or refuse the application.
(sec.15-ssec.4) As soon as practicable after the decision to approve the application is made, the decision-maker must ensure that the record for the area of land identified as an advanced offset in the register kept under section 90 of the Act is amended.
(sec.15-ssec.5) If the decision-maker decides to refuse the application, the decision-maker must, as soon as practicable after making the decision, give the applicant an information notice about the decision.
(a) approve the application; or
(b) refuse the application.
pt.7
Review of decisions and appeals
Review of decisions and appeals
pt.7-div.1
Preliminary
Preliminary
sec.16
Definitions for pt 7
sec.16 Definitions for pt 7
In this part—
appellable decision means an internal review decision in relation to a reviewable decision that is—
a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election, in relation to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act , in relation to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act in relation to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act.
s 16 def appellable decision sub 2014 SL No. 295 s 11
internal review decision means a decision made after an internal review of a reviewable decision to—
confirm the reviewable decision; or
amend the reviewable decision; or
substitute another decision for the reviewable decision.
relevant Act means the Environmental Protection Act 1994 or the Planning Act.
s 16 def relevant Act ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 11 (2)
amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 45
relevant entity means—
for a reviewable decision that is a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act—the administering agency that made the decision; or
for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the administering agency that failed to give the notice; or
for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the administering agency that failed to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within that period; or
for a reviewable decision that is a decision by a decision-maker under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application—the decision-maker that made the decision; or
for a reviewable decision that is a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act —the administering agency that made the decision.
s 16 def relevant entity sub 2014 SL No. 295 s 11
reviewable decision means—
a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election; or
a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act ; or
a decision under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application; or
a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act .
s 16 def reviewable decision sub 2014 SL No. 295 s 11
(a) a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
(b) a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election, in relation to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
(c) a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act , in relation to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
(d) a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act in relation to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act.
(a) confirm the reviewable decision; or
(b) amend the reviewable decision; or
(c) substitute another decision for the reviewable decision.
(a) for a reviewable decision that is a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act—the administering agency that made the decision; or
(b) for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the administering agency that failed to give the notice; or
(c) for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the administering agency that failed to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within that period; or
(d) for a reviewable decision that is a decision by a decision-maker under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application—the decision-maker that made the decision; or
(e) for a reviewable decision that is a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act —the administering agency that made the decision.
(a) a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under a relevant Act; or
(b) a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election; or
(c) a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act ; or
(d) a decision under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application; or
(e) a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act .
sec.16A
Agreed delivery arrangement not entered into is taken to be reviewable decision
sec.16A Agreed delivery arrangement not entered into is taken to be reviewable decision
For section 19 (8) (c) of the Act , the fact that the entity and administering agency do not enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period is taken to be a reviewable decision.
s 16A ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 12
pt.7-div.2
Internal review
Internal review
sec.17
Internal review process is first step
sec.17 Internal review process is first step
Every review of a reviewable decision must be, in the first instance, by way of an application for internal review.
sec.18
Requirements for making application
sec.18 Requirements for making application
An application for internal review must—
be in the approved form; and
be made to the relevant entity within 20 business days after—
for a reviewable decision for which an information notice is given—the day the applicant is given the information notice; or
for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the day by which the notice should have been given; or
for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the end of the period; or
for another reviewable decision—the day the applicant is notified of the decision; and
be supported by enough information to enable the relevant entity to decide the application.
The relevant entity may extend the time for applying for the internal review.
s 18 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 13
(sec.18-ssec.1) An application for internal review must— be in the approved form; and be made to the relevant entity within 20 business days after— for a reviewable decision for which an information notice is given—the day the applicant is given the information notice; or for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the day by which the notice should have been given; or for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the end of the period; or for another reviewable decision—the day the applicant is notified of the decision; and be supported by enough information to enable the relevant entity to decide the application.
(sec.18-ssec.2) The relevant entity may extend the time for applying for the internal review.
(a) be in the approved form; and
(b) be made to the relevant entity within 20 business days after— (i) for a reviewable decision for which an information notice is given—the day the applicant is given the information notice; or (ii) for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the day by which the notice should have been given; or (iii) for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the end of the period; or (iv) for another reviewable decision—the day the applicant is notified of the decision; and
(i) for a reviewable decision for which an information notice is given—the day the applicant is given the information notice; or
(ii) for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the day by which the notice should have been given; or
(iii) for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the end of the period; or
(iv) for another reviewable decision—the day the applicant is notified of the decision; and
(c) be supported by enough information to enable the relevant entity to decide the application.
(i) for a reviewable decision for which an information notice is given—the day the applicant is given the information notice; or
(ii) for a reviewable decision that is a failure to give a notice under section 19 (3) of the Act within 40 business days after the administering agency receives the notice of election—the day by which the notice should have been given; or
(iii) for a reviewable decision that is a failure by the administering agency to enter into an agreed delivery arrangement within the stated reasonable period under 19(3)(b) of the Act —the end of the period; or
(iv) for another reviewable decision—the day the applicant is notified of the decision; and
sec.19
Internal review
sec.19 Internal review
If the relevant entity is satisfied the applicant has complied with section 18 , the relevant entity must, within 28 days after receiving the application—
review the reviewable decision; and
make an internal review decision.
Within 14 days after making the internal review decision, the relevant entity must give the applicant—
if the decision is an appellable decision—a notice stating—
the applicant may appeal against the decision; and
the period or time allowed for starting an appeal; and
how to start an appeal; or
otherwise—a notice complying with the QCAT Act , section 157 (2) about external review of the decision.
If the relevant entity does not comply with subsection (1) or (2) , the relevant entity is taken to have made a decision confirming the reviewable decision.
The application must not be dealt with by—
the person who made the reviewable decision; or
a person in a less senior office than the person who made the reviewable decision.
Subsection (4) —
applies despite the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , section 27A ; and
does not apply to a reviewable decision made by a chief executive.
For the purpose of an application for external review—
if the internal review decision confirms the reviewable decision—the reviewable decision is taken to be the internal review decision; or
if the internal review decision amends the reviewable decision—the reviewable decision as amended is taken to be the internal review decision.
(sec.19-ssec.1) If the relevant entity is satisfied the applicant has complied with section 18 , the relevant entity must, within 28 days after receiving the application— review the reviewable decision; and make an internal review decision.
(sec.19-ssec.2) Within 14 days after making the internal review decision, the relevant entity must give the applicant— if the decision is an appellable decision—a notice stating— the applicant may appeal against the decision; and the period or time allowed for starting an appeal; and how to start an appeal; or otherwise—a notice complying with the QCAT Act , section 157 (2) about external review of the decision.
(sec.19-ssec.3) If the relevant entity does not comply with subsection (1) or (2) , the relevant entity is taken to have made a decision confirming the reviewable decision.
(sec.19-ssec.4) The application must not be dealt with by— the person who made the reviewable decision; or a person in a less senior office than the person who made the reviewable decision.
(sec.19-ssec.5) Subsection (4) — applies despite the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , section 27A ; and does not apply to a reviewable decision made by a chief executive.
(sec.19-ssec.6) For the purpose of an application for external review— if the internal review decision confirms the reviewable decision—the reviewable decision is taken to be the internal review decision; or if the internal review decision amends the reviewable decision—the reviewable decision as amended is taken to be the internal review decision.
(a) review the reviewable decision; and
(b) make an internal review decision.
(a) if the decision is an appellable decision—a notice stating— (i) the applicant may appeal against the decision; and (ii) the period or time allowed for starting an appeal; and (iii) how to start an appeal; or
(i) the applicant may appeal against the decision; and
(ii) the period or time allowed for starting an appeal; and
(iii) how to start an appeal; or
(b) otherwise—a notice complying with the QCAT Act , section 157 (2) about external review of the decision.
(i) the applicant may appeal against the decision; and
(ii) the period or time allowed for starting an appeal; and
(iii) how to start an appeal; or
(a) the person who made the reviewable decision; or
(b) a person in a less senior office than the person who made the reviewable decision.
(a) applies despite the Acts Interpretation Act 1954 , section 27A ; and
(b) does not apply to a reviewable decision made by a chief executive.
(a) if the internal review decision confirms the reviewable decision—the reviewable decision is taken to be the internal review decision; or
(b) if the internal review decision amends the reviewable decision—the reviewable decision as amended is taken to be the internal review decision.
sec.20
Stay of operation of particular reviewable decisions
sec.20 Stay of operation of particular reviewable decisions
If an application is made for an internal review of any of the following reviewable decisions, the applicant may immediately apply, as provided under the QCAT Act , to QCAT for a stay of the reviewable decision—
a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under—
the Marine Parks Act 2004 ; or
the Nature Conservation Act 1992 ; or
a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act in relation to an offset condition imposed under an Act mentioned in paragraph (a) ; or
a decision made under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application.
The application affects the reviewable decision, or carrying out of the decision, only if the decision is stayed.
QCAT may stay the reviewable decision to secure the effectiveness of the internal review and any later application for external review.
The stay—
may be given on conditions the relevant entity considers appropriate; and
operates for the period fixed by the relevant entity; and
may be revoked or amended by the relevant entity.
The period of the stay must not extend past the time when the relevant entity makes an internal review decision about the reviewable decision and any later period the relevant entity allows the applicant to enable the applicant to apply for an external review of the decision.
s 20 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 14
(sec.20-ssec.1) If an application is made for an internal review of any of the following reviewable decisions, the applicant may immediately apply, as provided under the QCAT Act , to QCAT for a stay of the reviewable decision— a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under— the Marine Parks Act 2004 ; or the Nature Conservation Act 1992 ; or a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act in relation to an offset condition imposed under an Act mentioned in paragraph (a) ; or a decision made under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application.
(sec.20-ssec.2) The application affects the reviewable decision, or carrying out of the decision, only if the decision is stayed.
(sec.20-ssec.3) QCAT may stay the reviewable decision to secure the effectiveness of the internal review and any later application for external review.
(sec.20-ssec.4) The stay— may be given on conditions the relevant entity considers appropriate; and operates for the period fixed by the relevant entity; and may be revoked or amended by the relevant entity.
(sec.20-ssec.5) The period of the stay must not extend past the time when the relevant entity makes an internal review decision about the reviewable decision and any later period the relevant entity allows the applicant to enable the applicant to apply for an external review of the decision.
(a) a decision under section 19 (2) of the Act , stated in a notice given under section 19 (3) of the Act , that relates to an offset condition imposed under— (i) the Marine Parks Act 2004 ; or (ii) the Nature Conservation Act 1992 ; or
(i) the Marine Parks Act 2004 ; or
(ii) the Nature Conservation Act 1992 ; or
(b) a decision mentioned in section 19A (5) , 25A (8) (a) or 95B (8) (a) of the Act in relation to an offset condition imposed under an Act mentioned in paragraph (a) ; or
(c) a decision made under section 14 or 15 to refuse an application.
(i) the Marine Parks Act 2004 ; or
(ii) the Nature Conservation Act 1992 ; or
(a) may be given on conditions the relevant entity considers appropriate; and
(b) operates for the period fixed by the relevant entity; and
(c) may be revoked or amended by the relevant entity.
pt.7-div.3
External reviews
External reviews
sec.21
Applications for external review
sec.21 Applications for external review
A person who is given, or is entitled to be given, a notice under section 19 (2) (b) about a decision may apply, as provided under the QCAT Act , to QCAT for an external review of the decision.
pt.7-div.4
Appeals to Land Court
Appeals to Land Court
sec.23
Who may appeal
sec.23 Who may appeal
A person who is given, or is entitled to be given, a notice under section 19 (2) (a) about an appellable decision in relation to an offset condition imposed under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for a resource activity within the meaning of that Act may appeal the decision to the Land Court.
sec.24
How to start appeal
sec.24 How to start appeal
An appeal mentioned in section 23 is started by—
filing written notice of appeal with the registrar of the Land Court; and
complying with rules of court applicable to the appeal.
The notice of appeal must state fully the grounds of the appeal and the facts relied on.
Within 8 business days after filing the notice of appeal, the appellant must serve a copy of the notice on the administering agency.
(sec.24-ssec.1) An appeal mentioned in section 23 is started by— filing written notice of appeal with the registrar of the Land Court; and complying with rules of court applicable to the appeal.
(sec.24-ssec.2) The notice of appeal must state fully the grounds of the appeal and the facts relied on.
(sec.24-ssec.3) Within 8 business days after filing the notice of appeal, the appellant must serve a copy of the notice on the administering agency.
(a) filing written notice of appeal with the registrar of the Land Court; and
(b) complying with rules of court applicable to the appeal.
sec.25
Appeal period
sec.25 Appeal period
The notice of appeal must be filed within 22 business days after the day the appellant receives notice of the decision or the decision is taken to have been made.
However, the Land Court may at any time extend the time for starting the appeal.
(sec.25-ssec.1) The notice of appeal must be filed within 22 business days after the day the appellant receives notice of the decision or the decision is taken to have been made.
(sec.25-ssec.2) However, the Land Court may at any time extend the time for starting the appeal.
sec.26
Hearing procedures
sec.26 Hearing procedures
The procedure for an appeal is to be in accordance with the rules of court applicable to the appeal or, if the rules make no provision or insufficient provision, in accordance with directions of the judge.
An appeal is by way of rehearing.
(sec.26-ssec.1) The procedure for an appeal is to be in accordance with the rules of court applicable to the appeal or, if the rules make no provision or insufficient provision, in accordance with directions of the judge.
(sec.26-ssec.2) An appeal is by way of rehearing.
sec.27
Land Court’s powers for appeal
sec.27 Land Court’s powers for appeal
In deciding the appeal, the Land Court has the same powers as the administering agency.
sec.28
Decision for appeals
sec.28 Decision for appeals
In deciding the appeal, the Land Court may—
confirm the decision; or
set aside the decision and substitute another decision; or
set aside the decision and return the matter to the administering agency who made the decision, with directions the Land Court considers appropriate.
In setting aside or substituting the decision, the Land Court has the same powers as the administering agency unless otherwise expressly stated.
However, this subdivision does not apply to a power exercised under subsection (2) .
If the Land Court substitutes another decision, the substituted decision is taken to be that of the administering agency that made the relevant reviewable decision.
(sec.28-ssec.1) In deciding the appeal, the Land Court may— confirm the decision; or set aside the decision and substitute another decision; or set aside the decision and return the matter to the administering agency who made the decision, with directions the Land Court considers appropriate.
(sec.28-ssec.2) In setting aside or substituting the decision, the Land Court has the same powers as the administering agency unless otherwise expressly stated.
(sec.28-ssec.3) However, this subdivision does not apply to a power exercised under subsection (2) .
(sec.28-ssec.4) If the Land Court substitutes another decision, the substituted decision is taken to be that of the administering agency that made the relevant reviewable decision.
(a) confirm the decision; or
(b) set aside the decision and substitute another decision; or
(c) set aside the decision and return the matter to the administering agency who made the decision, with directions the Land Court considers appropriate.
pt.7-div.5
Appeals to Planning and Environment Court
Appeals to Planning and Environment Court
sec.29
Who may appeal
sec.29 Who may appeal
A person who is given, or is entitled to be given, a notice under section 19 (2) (a) about an appellable decision in relation to an offset condition imposed under the Planning Act, or under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for a prescribed environmentally relevant activity within the meaning of that Act, may appeal the decision to the Planning and Environment Court.
s 29 amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 46
sec.30
How to start appeal
sec.30 How to start appeal
An appeal mentioned in section 29 is started by—
filing written notice of appeal with the registrar of the Planning and Environment Court; and
complying with rules of court applicable to the appeal.
The notice of appeal must state fully the grounds of the appeal and the facts relied on.
Within 8 business days after filing the notice of appeal, the appellant must serve a copy of the notice on the administering agency.
(sec.30-ssec.1) An appeal mentioned in section 29 is started by— filing written notice of appeal with the registrar of the Planning and Environment Court; and complying with rules of court applicable to the appeal.
(sec.30-ssec.2) The notice of appeal must state fully the grounds of the appeal and the facts relied on.
(sec.30-ssec.3) Within 8 business days after filing the notice of appeal, the appellant must serve a copy of the notice on the administering agency.
(a) filing written notice of appeal with the registrar of the Planning and Environment Court; and
(b) complying with rules of court applicable to the appeal.
sec.31
Appeal period
sec.31 Appeal period
The notice of appeal must be filed within 22 business days after the day the appellant receives notice of the decision or the decision is taken to have been made.
However, the Planning and Environment Court may at any time extend the time for starting the appeal.
(sec.31-ssec.1) The notice of appeal must be filed within 22 business days after the day the appellant receives notice of the decision or the decision is taken to have been made.
(sec.31-ssec.2) However, the Planning and Environment Court may at any time extend the time for starting the appeal.
sec.32
Stay of operation of decisions
sec.32 Stay of operation of decisions
The Planning and Environment Court may grant a stay of a decision appealed against to secure the effectiveness of the appeal.
A stay may be granted on conditions the Planning and Environment Court considers appropriate and has effect for the period stated by the Planning and Environment Court.
The period of a stay must not extend past the time when the Planning and Environment Court decides the appeal.
An appeal against a decision does not affect the operation or carrying out of the decision unless the decision is stayed.
(sec.32-ssec.1) The Planning and Environment Court may grant a stay of a decision appealed against to secure the effectiveness of the appeal.
(sec.32-ssec.2) A stay may be granted on conditions the Planning and Environment Court considers appropriate and has effect for the period stated by the Planning and Environment Court.
(sec.32-ssec.3) The period of a stay must not extend past the time when the Planning and Environment Court decides the appeal.
(sec.32-ssec.4) An appeal against a decision does not affect the operation or carrying out of the decision unless the decision is stayed.
sec.33
Hearing procedures
sec.33 Hearing procedures
The procedure for an appeal is to be in accordance with the rules of court applicable to the appeal or, if the rules make no provision or insufficient provision, in accordance with directions of the judge.
An appeal is by way of rehearing.
(sec.33-ssec.1) The procedure for an appeal is to be in accordance with the rules of court applicable to the appeal or, if the rules make no provision or insufficient provision, in accordance with directions of the judge.
(sec.33-ssec.2) An appeal is by way of rehearing.
sec.34
Powers of Planning and Environment Court on appeal
sec.34 Powers of Planning and Environment Court on appeal
In deciding an appeal, the Planning and Environment Court may—
confirm the decision appealed against; or
vary the decision appealed against; or
set aside the decision appealed against and make a decision in substitution for the decision set aside.
If on appeal the Planning and Environment Court acts under subsection (1) (b) or (c) , the decision is taken to be that of the administering agency that made the relevant reviewable decision.
(sec.34-ssec.1) In deciding an appeal, the Planning and Environment Court may— confirm the decision appealed against; or vary the decision appealed against; or set aside the decision appealed against and make a decision in substitution for the decision set aside.
(sec.34-ssec.2) If on appeal the Planning and Environment Court acts under subsection (1) (b) or (c) , the decision is taken to be that of the administering agency that made the relevant reviewable decision.
(a) confirm the decision appealed against; or
(b) vary the decision appealed against; or
(c) set aside the decision appealed against and make a decision in substitution for the decision set aside.
pt.8
Miscellaneous
Miscellaneous
sec.35
Register to be kept by each administering agency— Act , s 90
sec.35 Register to be kept by each administering agency— Act , s 90
For the Act , section 90 (1) (b) , the following matters are prescribed as other matters an administering agency must keep a register about—
information about each area of land identified as an advanced offset, including—
particulars sufficient to identify the area; and
a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and
the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
information about each legally secured offset area, including—
particulars sufficient to identify the area; and
a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and
the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
the date of any declaration of an environmental offset protection area made under the Act , section 30 ;
for each notice given under the Act , section 18 (2) (a) —whether the authority holder has elected to deliver an offset condition by—
a proponent-driven offset; or
a financial settlement offset; or
a combination of a proponent-driven offset and a financial settlement offset;
for each financial settlement offset—the amount paid by the proponent.
(a) information about each area of land identified as an advanced offset, including— (i) particulars sufficient to identify the area; and (ii) a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and (iii) the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
(i) particulars sufficient to identify the area; and
(ii) a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and
(iii) the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
(b) information about each legally secured offset area, including— (i) particulars sufficient to identify the area; and (ii) a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and (iii) the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
(i) particulars sufficient to identify the area; and
(ii) a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and
(iii) the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
(c) the date of any declaration of an environmental offset protection area made under the Act , section 30 ;
(d) for each notice given under the Act , section 18 (2) (a) —whether the authority holder has elected to deliver an offset condition by— (i) a proponent-driven offset; or (ii) a financial settlement offset; or (iii) a combination of a proponent-driven offset and a financial settlement offset;
(i) a proponent-driven offset; or
(ii) a financial settlement offset; or
(iii) a combination of a proponent-driven offset and a financial settlement offset;
(e) for each financial settlement offset—the amount paid by the proponent.
(i) particulars sufficient to identify the area; and
(ii) a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and
(iii) the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
(i) particulars sufficient to identify the area; and
(ii) a description of each matter of environmental significance relevant to the area; and
(iii) the administering agency’s reference number for the area;
(i) a proponent-driven offset; or
(ii) a financial settlement offset; or
(iii) a combination of a proponent-driven offset and a financial settlement offset;
sec.36
Administering agency to apply to for removal of particular duplicate offset condition
sec.36 Administering agency to apply to for removal of particular duplicate offset condition
Each of the following is prescribed for section 25A (3) (b) (i) of the Act —
if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a protected plant that is critically endangered wildlife, endangered wildlife or vulnerable wildlife under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition under a protected plant clearing permit granted under the Nature Conservation (Plants) Regulation 2020 ;
if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a protected area under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition for an authority mentioned in schedule 1 , item 4;
if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a marine park under the Marine Parks Act 2004 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition on a permission granted under the Marine Parks Regulation 2017 ;
if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to koalas—the administering agency that imposed the condition, other than the agency that imposed the condition under State code 25 (Development in South East Queensland koala habitat areas) of the State development assessment provisions.
For subsection (1) (d) , an offset condition relates to koalas if the condition relates to—
a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (3) (b) that is an area of essential habitat on the essential habitat map for koalas; or
a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 6 (3) ; or
a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 6 (4) that is a habitat for a koala.
s 36 ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 15
amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 47 ; 2017 SL No. 154 s 199 sch 7 ; 2020 SL No. 9 s 7 ; 2020 SL No. 137 s 229 sch 6
(sec.36-ssec.1) Each of the following is prescribed for section 25A (3) (b) (i) of the Act — if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a protected plant that is critically endangered wildlife, endangered wildlife or vulnerable wildlife under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition under a protected plant clearing permit granted under the Nature Conservation (Plants) Regulation 2020 ; if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a protected area under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition for an authority mentioned in schedule 1 , item 4; if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a marine park under the Marine Parks Act 2004 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition on a permission granted under the Marine Parks Regulation 2017 ; if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to koalas—the administering agency that imposed the condition, other than the agency that imposed the condition under State code 25 (Development in South East Queensland koala habitat areas) of the State development assessment provisions.
(sec.36-ssec.2) For subsection (1) (d) , an offset condition relates to koalas if the condition relates to— a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (3) (b) that is an area of essential habitat on the essential habitat map for koalas; or a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 6 (3) ; or a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 6 (4) that is a habitat for a koala.
(a) if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a protected plant that is critically endangered wildlife, endangered wildlife or vulnerable wildlife under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition under a protected plant clearing permit granted under the Nature Conservation (Plants) Regulation 2020 ;
(b) if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a protected area under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition for an authority mentioned in schedule 1 , item 4;
(c) if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to a marine park under the Marine Parks Act 2004 —the administering agency that imposed the offset condition, other than the agency that imposed the offset condition on a permission granted under the Marine Parks Regulation 2017 ;
(d) if the offset condition the authority holder is seeking to remove relates to koalas—the administering agency that imposed the condition, other than the agency that imposed the condition under State code 25 (Development in South East Queensland koala habitat areas) of the State development assessment provisions.
(a) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (3) (b) that is an area of essential habitat on the essential habitat map for koalas; or
(b) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 6 (3) ; or
(c) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 , section 6 (4) that is a habitat for a koala.
pt.9
Transitional provisions for Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation 2020
Transitional provisions for Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation 2020
sec.37
Definitions for part
sec.37 Definitions for part
In this part—
amendment regulation means the Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation 2020 .
former , in relation to a provision, means the provision as in force from time to time before the provision was amended or repealed under the amendment regulation.
s 37 prev 37 ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 15
amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 48
om 2020 SL No. 9 s 8
pres s 37 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9
sec.38
Offset conditions imposed on particular authorities
sec.38 Offset conditions imposed on particular authorities
Former section 10 and former schedules 1 and 2 continue to apply in relation to an offset condition imposed on the following authorities as if the amendment regulation had not commenced—
an authority given before the commencement;
an authority given after the commencement for an application to which the Planning Regulation 2017 , section 73 applies.
s 38 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9
(a) an authority given before the commencement;
(b) an authority given after the commencement for an application to which the Planning Regulation 2017 , section 73 applies.
sec.39
Particular applications and decisions about advanced offsets
sec.39 Particular applications and decisions about advanced offsets
Former part 6 continues to apply in relation to an application that was made under former section 14(1) or (6) or 15(1), but not decided, before the commencement as if the amendment regulation had not commenced.
Former parts 6 and 7 continue to apply in relation to a decision made under former section 14(3) or 15(3) before or after the commencement as if the amendment regulation had not commenced.
s 39 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9
(sec.39-ssec.1) Former part 6 continues to apply in relation to an application that was made under former section 14(1) or (6) or 15(1), but not decided, before the commencement as if the amendment regulation had not commenced.
(sec.39-ssec.2) Former parts 6 and 7 continue to apply in relation to a decision made under former section 14(3) or 15(3) before or after the commencement as if the amendment regulation had not commenced.
sec.40
Dealing with land registered as advanced offsets by local governments
sec.40 Dealing with land registered as advanced offsets by local governments
This section applies if—
before or after the commencement, a local government registers an area of land as an advanced offset in the register kept by the local government under section 90 of the Act ; and
the land is an advanced offset for a matter other than a matter for which an environmental offset may be required under a local planning instrument.
On or after the commencement, the owner of the land may apply to the local government in the approved form—
for the area to no longer be identified as an advanced offset and to be removed from the register; or
to amend a boundary of the area.
Former parts 6 and 7 apply in relation to the application as if—
for an application made under subsection (2)(a)—the application were made under former section 14(6); or
for an application made under subsection (2)(b)—the application were made under former section 15(1).
s 40 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9
(sec.40-ssec.1) This section applies if— before or after the commencement, a local government registers an area of land as an advanced offset in the register kept by the local government under section 90 of the Act ; and the land is an advanced offset for a matter other than a matter for which an environmental offset may be required under a local planning instrument.
(sec.40-ssec.2) On or after the commencement, the owner of the land may apply to the local government in the approved form— for the area to no longer be identified as an advanced offset and to be removed from the register; or to amend a boundary of the area.
(sec.40-ssec.3) Former parts 6 and 7 apply in relation to the application as if— for an application made under subsection (2)(a)—the application were made under former section 14(6); or for an application made under subsection (2)(b)—the application were made under former section 15(1).
(a) before or after the commencement, a local government registers an area of land as an advanced offset in the register kept by the local government under section 90 of the Act ; and
(b) the land is an advanced offset for a matter other than a matter for which an environmental offset may be required under a local planning instrument.
(a) for the area to no longer be identified as an advanced offset and to be removed from the register; or
(b) to amend a boundary of the area.
(a) for an application made under subsection (2)(a)—the application were made under former section 14(6); or
(b) for an application made under subsection (2)(b)—the application were made under former section 15(1).
sec.41
Removing particular duplicate conditions
sec.41 Removing particular duplicate conditions
Former section 36 continues to apply to in relation to an offset condition imposed on the following authorities as if the amendment regulation had not commenced—
an authority given before the commencement;
an authority given after the commencement for an application to which the Planning Regulation 2017 , section 73 applies.
s 41 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9
(a) an authority given before the commencement;
(b) an authority given after the commencement for an application to which the Planning Regulation 2017 , section 73 applies.
sec.42
Existing applications for authorities
sec.42 Existing applications for authorities
Former section 37 and former schedules 1 and 2 continue to apply in relation to an application for an authority that was made, but not decided, before the commencement as if the amendment regulation had not commenced.
s 42 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9
Source text: opening excerpt
Sourced from Queensland Legislation (legislation.qld.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
pt.1 Preliminary
Preliminary
sec.1 Short title
sec.1 Short title
This regulation may be cited as the Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014 .
sec.2 Commencement
sec.2 Commencement
This regulation commences on 1 July 2014.
sec.3 Definitions
sec.3 Definitions
The dictionary in schedule 3 defines particular words used in this regulation.
pt.2 Interpretation
Interpretation
sec.4 Prescribed activities— Act , s 9
sec.4 Prescribed activities— Act , s 9
Each activity mentioned in schedule 1 is prescribed for section 9 (c) of the Act .
sec.5 Prescribed environmental matters— Act , s 10
sec.5 Prescribed environmental matters— Act , s 10
For section 10 (1) (a) of the Act , each of the following matters of national environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter—
a declared World Heritage property within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 13 (1) ;
a National Heritage place within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 324C (3) ;
a declared Ramsar wetland within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 17 ;
a threatened species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 178 of that Act;
a threatened ecological community within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 181 of that Act;
a migratory species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 209 of that Act;
a Commonwealth marine area within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 24 ;
the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) ;
a water resource, within the meaning of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) , to the extent the taking of action mentioned in section 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act in relation to the water resource is prohibited under either of those sections.
For section 10 (1) (b) of the Act , each matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 is a prescribed environmental matter.
However, each of the following matters of State environmental significance is not a prescribed environmental matter to the extent the matter of State environmental significance is in an urban area—
a prescribed regional ecosystem mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (2) to (5) or 3 (2) ;
a designated precinct mentioned in schedule 2 , section 5 (1) ;
a marine plant mentioned in schedule 2 , section 11 ;
any part of a waterway mentioned in schedule 2 , section 10 (1) .
For section 10 (1) (c) of the Act , a matter of local environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter if—
an environmental offset for the matter is required under a local planning instrument; and
the matter is not the same, or substantially the same, as—
a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or
a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or
a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
In this section—
Commonwealth Environment Act means the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) .
urban area see the Planning Regulation 2017 , schedule 24 .
s 5 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 4 ; 2017 SL No. 103 s 41 ; 2018 SL No. 56 s 3
(sec.5-ssec.1) For section 10 (1) (a) of the Act , each of the following matters of national environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter— a declared World Heritage property within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 13 (1) ; a National Heritage place within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 324C (3) ; a declared Ramsar wetland within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 17 ; a threatened species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 178 of that Act; a threatened ecological community within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 181 of that Act; a migratory species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 209 of that Act; a Commonwealth marine area within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 24 ; the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) ; a water resource, within the meaning of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) , to the extent the taking of action mentioned in section 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act in relation to the water resource is prohibited under either of those sections.
(sec.5-ssec.2) For section 10 (1) (b) of the Act , each matter of State environmental significance mentioned in schedule 2 is a prescribed environmental matter.
(sec.5-ssec.3) However, each of the following matters of State environmental significance is not a prescribed environmental matter to the extent the matter of State environmental significance is in an urban area— a prescribed regional ecosystem mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (2) to (5) or 3 (2) ; a designated precinct mentioned in schedule 2 , section 5 (1) ; a marine plant mentioned in schedule 2 , section 11 ; any part of a waterway mentioned in schedule 2 , section 10 (1) .
(sec.5-ssec.4) For section 10 (1) (c) of the Act , a matter of local environmental significance is a prescribed environmental matter if— an environmental offset for the matter is required under a local planning instrument; and the matter is not the same, or substantially the same, as— a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
(sec.5-ssec.5) In this section— Commonwealth Environment Act means the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth) . urban area see the Planning Regulation 2017 , schedule 24 .
Lists land types that qualify as legally secured offset areas for the purposes of the Act (s 7), including land subject to covenants under the Land Act 1994 / Land Title Act 1994, declared fish habitat areas under the Fisheries Act 1994, and highly protected marine park areas under the Marine Parks Act 2004. S 7 also prescribes those areas as legally secured for other Acts under s 29(3)(b) of the Act.
States mandatory content for offset delivery plans (s 8). These requirements include description of the prescribed environmental matter, identification of the land and persons with interests in it, description of existing land use and impacts on delivery, and a statement of the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land as a legally secured offset area together with reasons and periods for those measures.
Prescribes matters the administering agency must consider when an offset delivery plan is submitted, including whether the plan meets Act s 18(4) requirements, whether proposed activities are restricted or require permission under any law, and the anticipated impact of delivering the offset on other prescribed environmental matters on the same land (s 9).
Sets out administrative powers for declaration amendment and revocation of environmental offset protection areas (ss 11-12), including threshold beliefs the chief executive must have before amending a declaration (s 11(3)) and grounds on which the chief executive may revoke a declaration (s 12(2)).
Establishes an advanced offsets regime: definitions of decision‑maker (s 13), application and registration mechanics for advanced offsets (s 14), and amendment of advanced offset boundaries (s 15). The decision‑maker varies by whether the advanced offset is for local environmental significance (local government) or State/national significance (chief executive) (s 13).
Requires registers to be kept by each administering agency and prescribes specific matters that must be recorded in those registers, including particulars of advanced offsets and legally secured offset areas, dates of declarations, the proponent’s election between proponent‑driven and financial settlement offsets, and amounts paid for financial settlement offsets (s 35).
Prescribes the internal review-first process, time limits and form requirements for review applications (ss 16-20), and provides for external review processes through QCAT and appeals to specialised courts, with mechanics for filing, timing and rehearing (ss 21-34). The regulation defines what is a reviewable decision and an appellable decision for these purposes (s 16).
Specifies, in s 36, which administering agency an authority holder must apply to when seeking removal of a particular duplicate offset condition, differentiating by the subject matter (protected plants, protected areas, marine parks, koalas) and carving out specified permit/permission regimes.
Contains transitional provisions dealing with the Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation 2020, preserving the application of former provisions to certain authorities and pending applications (pt 9, ss 37-42).
The regulation therefore fixes a collection of administrative definitions, recordkeeping obligations, plan content standards, and procedural timeframes that operationalise how environmental offsets are to be proposed, approved, registered, amended and reviewed. It makes concrete who decides (decision‑makers specified in s 13 and the chief executive or administering agencies named throughout), who pays in practice (the register records whether the authority holder elected a financial settlement offset (s 35(d)-(e)), and what paperwork and legal steps are mandatory (s 8; ss 14-15; s 35). The text provided contains numerous amendment annotations for particular sections, signalling iterative legislative changes over time (see s 6 and others). The regulation interacts with multiple other Acts by reference (for example the Commonwealth Environment Act, Land Act 1994, Fisheries Act 1994, Marine Parks Act 2004, Water Act 2007), and it routes procedural disputes to particular review forums (QCAT, Land Court, Planning and Environment Court) depending on the nature of the activity and the administering agency (see pt 7).
Main concepts
This regulation organises the offset system around a set of core concepts: prescribed activities, prescribed environmental matters, offset delivery plans, legally secured offset areas, advanced offsets, administering agency registers, and a structured review and appeal system. Each concept is defined or prescribed with specific legal effects.
Prescribed activities and environmental matters
Prescribed activities feed into the Act’s s 9 via schedule 1 (s 4). The regulation therefore delegates to schedules the inventory of activities that can trigger offset obligations. Because schedule 1 is not reproduced in the excerpt, the specific activities are not restated here, but s 4 makes the schedule the operative list for s 9 of the Act.
Prescribed environmental matters determine when offsets apply under the Act’s s 10. S 5(1) lists national matters (World Heritage, National Heritage, Ramsar wetlands, Commonwealth lists of threatened species/ecological communities/migratory species, Commonwealth marine areas, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and certain water resources under the Commonwealth Water Act), while s 5(2) brings State matters from schedule 2 into the prescribed list for s 10(1)(b). S 5(3) limits the application of certain State matters where they are located in an "urban area" (as defined by Planning Regulation 2017, schedule 24), and s 5(4) makes local environmental significance matters prescribed only if an environmental offset is required under a local planning instrument and they are not the same, or substantially the same, as matters already captured at State or Commonwealth level.
Offset delivery plans and substantive content
The regulation sets mandatory content for offset delivery plans under s 8. The plan must describe the prescribed environmental matter, state whether delivery will be wholly or partly on the land proposed, identify the land and any persons with interests in it, describe existing land use and any impact on delivery, and crucially, specify the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land as a legally secured offset area together with reasons why those measures are reasonable and practicable and the period the measures will be taken (s 8). These requirements convert abstract offset obligations into site‑specific commitments and documentary evidence of feasibility.
Legally secured offset areas
S 7 prescribes types of land that count as "legally secured offset areas" for the Act’s s 29(1)(a)(iii): land under covenants in the Land Act 1994 or Land Title Act 1994, declared fish habitat areas (Fisheries Act 1994 s 120), and highly protected areas under the Marine Parks Act 2004 schedule. S 7(2) also prescribes those areas as legally secured for the purposes of the other Act referenced in s 29(3)(b).
Advanced offsets
Part 6 creates an advanced offsets pathway. Decision‑maker is defined by s 13: local government for advanced offsets related to local environmental significance required by local planning instruments; chief executive for advanced offsets related to State or national environmental significance where the requirement is imposed by the State. Owners can apply to have their land identified and registered as advanced offsets (s 14). Decision‑makers must have regard to any relevant environmental offsets policy when deciding (s 14(2)). Registration is to occur "as soon as practicable" after approval (s 14(4)), and owners can at any time apply to delist or amend boundaries (s 14(6)-(7); s 15).
Administrative registers and transparency
S 35 prescribes the matters each administering agency must record in its register under the Act’s s 90(1)(b). Required entries include particulars of advanced offsets and legally secured offset areas (particulars sufficient to identify the area, description of environmental significance, agency reference number), date of declarations of environmental offset protection areas, and details for each notice given under the Act s 18(2)(a): whether the authority holder elected a proponent‑driven offset or a financial settlement offset (or combination), and for financial settlement offsets the amount paid by the proponent (s 35(d)-(e)). The register requirement embeds a transparency and traceability mechanism for offset delivery choices and payments.
Procedural review architecture
The regulation builds an internal review-first process (s 17), sets form and timeframe requirements for internal review applications (approved form; 20 business days in s 18), mandates internal review completion timelines (28 days to review, s 19(1)), prescribes notices to applicants and appeal rights (s 19(2)), and defines when QCAT may be approached for a stay to secure the effectiveness of the internal review (s 20). For external review, s 21 points to the QCAT Act for application procedure. For substantive appeals against appellable decisions, the regulation routes appeals to the Land Court for resource activity matters under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (s 23-28) and to the Planning and Environment Court for Planning Act or certain ERAs (s 29-34). Appeals are rehearings (s 26(2), s 33(2)) and the courts have the same powers as the administering agency in deciding appeals (s 27; s 28(2); s 34(1)-(2)).
Special administrative rules and exceptions
S 9 adds a required consideration for administering agencies evaluating offset delivery plans: not only the technical compliance of the plan, but whether proposed activities under the plan are restricted/prohibited or require permission under any law, and whether the proposing offset will affect other prescribed environmental matters on the land. Section 36 prescribes, for the Act’s s 25A(3)(b)(i), which administering agency an authority holder must apply to when seeking removal of duplicate offset conditions, differentiating by subject matter and excluding the agency that imposed the offset in certain permit contexts.
Transitional measures
Part 9 provides transitional rules preserving application of former provisions in relation to certain authorities and pending applications, specifically for the 2020 Koala Protection amendments (ss 37-42). These provisions ensure that authorities or applications caught by previous rules continue to be governed as if the amendment regulation had not commenced (s 38, s 39, s 41, s 42), and set out how local government‑registered advanced offsets for matters outside local planning instruments can be delisted or amended using former parts (s 40).
Together, these concepts form a practical administrative architecture: they define trigger conditions (prescribed activities/matters), require a project‑specific plan with legal‑security steps (s 8), create a mechanism for pre‑identifying land as advanced offsets (pt 6), require recordkeeping on elections and payments (s 35), and provide defined administrative and judicial review routes (pt 7). The regulation also maps how the offset regime interacts with other statutory instruments and land title regimes by naming specific statutes and instruments that create legally secured instruments (s 7, s 5).
Who it affects
Several groups are directly affected by the regulation’s mechanics and obligations. The text identifies roles and actors and constrains their choices by documentary and procedural requirements.
Authority holders and proponents
Authority holders who hold approvals that may carry offset conditions are subject to the offset delivery plan requirements in s 8 and to the requirement that administering agencies consider particular matters when assessing plans (s 9). The register requirement in s 35(d)-(e) also records the authority holder’s election between proponent-driven offsets and financial settlement offsets and records amounts paid where financial settlement offsets are used. Where an authority holder seeks to remove an offset condition or a duplicate condition, s 36 prescribes which administering agency must be applied to, depending on the subject matter.
Land owners and persons with an interest in land
Owners of land can apply to have areas identified and registered as advanced offsets (s 14(1)). Owners may apply to have an area removed from the advanced offset register or to amend boundaries (s 14(6); s 15). Section 8 requires offset delivery plans to identify "any person with an interest in the land" and include details of those persons, which brings persons with interests in land (for example mortgagees, tenants, covenanted parties) within the regime. Where a declaration of an environmental offset protection area is to be amended to increase the declared area, the chief executive must reasonably believe that "each person with an interest in the land within the additional area has consented" (s 11(3)(c)), making agreement from interested parties a precondition to amendment.
Decision‑makers and administering agencies
The regulation expressly names "decision‑maker" roles for advanced offsets: local governments for advanced offsets for matters of local environmental significance that may be required under a local planning instrument; the chief executive for advanced offsets for State or national matters that may be required by the State (s 13). Administering agencies are required to keep registers under s 35 and to consider specific matters when evaluating offset delivery plans (s 9). The chief executive is given power to amend or revoke declarations of environmental offset protection areas under ss 11-12, but with prescribed constraints (consent of persons with interest, reasonable belief about deliverability and conservation outcome, or public interest/achievement of offset requirements).
Courts and review bodies
The regulation routes certain internal and external reviews to particular courts and tribunals. QCAT is referenced for stays and external reviews per the QCAT Act (s 20, s 21). Appeals against appellable decisions relating to resource activities under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 go to the Land Court (s 23-28). Appeals against appellable decisions relating to offset conditions under the Planning Act, or for prescribed environmentally relevant activities within the Environmental Protection Act 1994, go to the Planning and Environment Court (s 29-34). The courts' roles are prescribed as rehearings with the same powers as administering agencies (ss 26, 27, 28, 33, 34).
Other statutory regulators and sectors
The regulation ties into multiple sectoral Acts and regulators by reference. S 5(1) imports Commonwealth environmental lists and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under federal statute; s 7 imports covenants under the Land Act 1994 and Land Title Act 1994, fish habitat areas under the Fisheries Act 1994, and marine parks under the Marine Parks Act 2004. Section 36 mentions specific permit regimes (protected plant clearing permits under the Nature Conservation (Plants) Regulation 2020; permissions under the Marine Parks Regulation 2017; State code 25 of State development assessment provisions for koalas) and prescribes the administering agency to apply to where duplicate conditions arise. The regulation therefore affects proponents and owners who operate across forestry, fisheries, marine park, planning and protected plant permit regimes.
Applicants and objectors
Persons who are "given, or are entitled to be given, a notice" under s 19(2)(a) have the right to pursue internal review (s 17-19) and, where applicable, appeals to Land Court or Planning and Environment Court depending on the subject matter (s 23, s 29). Applicants for internal review must use the approved form and meet the 20 business day filing timeframe in s 18. Appellants must file appeals within 22 business days under ss 25 and 31, with mechanics for filing and service set out in ss 24 and 30.
Local governments and the chief executive
Local governments have the role of decision‑maker for advanced offsets where those offsets concern local environmental significance under a local planning instrument (s 13). The chief executive is the decision‑maker for State or national significance advanced offsets (s 13) and controls amendment/revocation of declarations of environmental offset protection areas (ss 11-12).
Financial actors
Financial settlement offsets implicate payments by proponents: the register must record the amount paid for each financial settlement offset (s 35(e)). The regulation therefore affects budgetary and accounting decisions taken by proponents and, indirectly, administering agencies who must record the payments. The regulation does not set prices or valuation methodologies; it records the election and amounts.
In short, the regulation distributes operational obligations across proponents, authority holders, land owners, administering agencies, local governments and the chief executive; it prescribes what information must be recorded and how and channels disputes into specified internal and external review processes. The text defines who decides which land can be advanced offset (s 13-15), who must be consulted or whose consent is necessary for expansion of declared areas (s 11(3)(c)), and which administrative body to approach in duplicate condition scenarios (s 36). It therefore affects the transaction costs of negotiating offsets and the administrative paths for disagreement.
Key duties and rights
The regulation creates a set of documentary duties for proponents, recordkeeping duties for administering agencies, decision‑making duties for decision‑makers, and processual rights for applicants and appellants. The provisions are procedural and administrative rather than criminal; they allocate responsibilities and procedural entitlements.
Duties of authority holders and proponents
Prepare offset delivery plans that meet the specific requirements in s 8. The plan must: describe the prescribed environmental matter; state whether delivery will be on the land identified; include particulars or a description sufficient to identify the land; identify and contain details of any person with an interest in the land; describe existing land use and any impact on the delivery of the offset; and state the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land as a legally secured offset area, why those measures are reasonable and practicable, the period during which those measures will be taken, and why that period is reasonable (s 8). Meeting s 8 is a condition of the Act’s s 18(4)(d) requirement being satisfied (s 8(1)).
Elect whether to deliver an offset by a proponent‑driven offset, a financial settlement offset, or a combination. The authority holder’s election is recorded in the administering agency’s register (s 35(d)); for financial settlement offsets, the amount paid is to be recorded (s 35(e)). The regulation therefore places an evidentiary duty on proponents to document their election and payments.
Duties of administering agencies and decision‑makers
Consider prescribed matters when evaluating offset delivery plans (s 9). Specifically, s 9(2) requires the agency to consider whether the plan satisfies Act s 18(4), whether any activity proposed under the plan is restricted or prohibited or requires permission under any law, and the impact that undertaking the environmental offset will, or is likely to, have on other prescribed environmental matters on the land.
Maintain registers and record the specific prescribed items listed in s 35. Registers must include particulars sufficient to identify advanced offsets and legally secured offset areas, a description of relevant environmental matters, administering agency reference numbers, dates of declarations, and election/payment information related to offset delivery (s 35).
For advanced offsets, a decision‑maker must have regard to any relevant environmental offsets policy when deciding applications (s 14(2); s 15(2)). The decision‑maker must register approved advanced offsets "as soon as practicable" (s 14(4)) and must ensure records are amended "as soon as practicable" following any approved boundary amendment (s 15(4)).
The chief executive may, by written notice, amend a declaration where an environmental offset agreement is varied to increase area, but only when the chief executive reasonably believes the additional area may be used to deliver an offset, the later agreement and its delivery plan are designed to achieve a conservation outcome, and each person with an interest in the land within the additional area has consented (s 11). The chief executive may revoke a declaration if the chief executive reasonably considers it is not in the interests of the State having regard to the public interest, the offset requirements have been achieved, or both there is a prescribed activity approved in the area for which there is an environmental offset condition and the authority holder has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement to provide an environmental offset for significant residual impacts (s 12).
Internal review and appeal rights
Affected persons have the right to an internal review as the first step (s 17). Applications for internal review must be in the approved form and made to the relevant entity within 20 business days after the relevant triggering date (s 18). The relevant entity must, if satisfied the applicant complied with s 18, review the reviewable decision and make an internal review decision within 28 days (s 19(1)). The relevant entity must give notice about the internal review decision and about appeal rights where the internal review decision is an appellable decision (s 19(2)). If the relevant entity fails to meet the internal review timeframes, it is taken to have made a decision confirming the reviewable decision (s 19(3)).
Appellants may apply to QCAT for a stay in prescribed circumstances while internal review is pending (s 20). External review applications are made to QCAT as provided by the QCAT Act (s 21). Appellants can take appeals to the Land Court (s 23-28) or the Planning and Environment Court (s 29-34) depending on the nature of the appellable decision. Filing, service and time limits are specified: appeals start by filing written notice and complying with rules of court, with service on the administering agency within 8 business days of filing (s 24; s 30). Appeal period is 22 business days from receiving notice or decision (s 25; s 31), though both courts may extend time.
Procedural protections and constraints
Internal review applications cannot be dealt with by the person who made the reviewable decision or by a person in a less senior office than the person who made the decision (s 19(4)). This is a structural safeguard intended to avoid conflicts of interest in internal review. Subsection s 19(5) clarifies that this constraint does not apply to a reviewable decision made by a chief executive.
For appeals, relevant courts have the same powers as the administering agency and conduct appeals by way of rehearing (s 26(2), s 27, s 28(2), s 33(2), s 34). Where a court substitutes another decision, that substituted decision is taken to be that of the administering agency (s 28(4); s 34(2)).
Special duties dealing with duplicate offset conditions
S 36 prescribes which agency an authority holder must apply to under the Act’s s 25A(3)(b)(i) when seeking removal of duplicate offset conditions, and carves out contexts where the agency that imposed the offset under particular permits or codes is not the agency to apply to (s 36(1)). The section also defines when an offset condition relates to koalas for the purposes of s 36(1)(d) (s 36(2)).
Transitional duties and rights
Part 9 (ss 37-42) prescribes that certain former provisions continue to apply for authorities and applications existing at the time of the Koala Protection amendment regulation 2020. This creates transitional duties on administering agencies to continue to administer former sections for those specific authorities and applications (s 38-42).
Notably absent: the regulation does not itself create monetary penalties or criminal sanctions in the text provided. Its duties are administrative and documentary, with rights framed as internal review and appeal channels. The regulation therefore imposes compliance costs in the form of plan preparation, land security measures, recordkeeping, payments where financial settlement offsets are chosen, and participation in internal/external review processes. It also creates rights to challenge agency decisions and to seek stays, and prescribes who must be given notice and within what timeframes.
Penalties and enforcement
The regulation as provided focuses on administrative powers, recordkeeping obligations and procedural review mechanisms. There are no express penalty provisions (for example, specific fines, criminal offences or infringement notices) within the text reproduced here. Enforcement and "penalties" in the operational sense therefore take administrative rather than punitive forms within the regulations’ scope. The following enforcement‑adjacent mechanisms are present and relevant:
Administrative powers to alter legal status of land
The chief executive may amend a declaration of an environmental offset protection area by written notice where specified conditions are met (s 11). The chief executive may also revoke a declaration by written notice where the chief executive reasonably considers that the declaration is not in the public interest, that the offset requirements and relevant delivery plan have been achieved, or where there is a prescribed activity approved to be carried out in the area and the holder has entered into an agreed delivery arrangement for significant residual impacts (s 12). Those powers alter legal entitlements attached to land and therefore function as enforcement or corrective levers to ensure offset conditions are actualised or removed when no longer warranted.
Recordkeeping and public traceability
Administering agencies must keep registers and record specific items, including the authority holder’s election between proponent‑driven and financial settlement offsets and amounts paid for financial settlement offsets (s 35). The register entries create a public or at least agency trace that can be used to verify compliance and to detect non‑performance indirectly, for example by showing whether a financial settlement was made.
Review and appeal processes as corrective mechanisms
The regulation gives those affected rights to seek internal review (s 17-19), to apply to QCAT for stays (s 20, s 21), and to appeal to the Land Court or Planning and Environment Court depending on the matter (s 23-34). Appeals are by rehearing and the courts have full powers to confirm, vary, set aside and substitute decisions (ss 26-28, 33-34). Those review and appeal paths are the principal mechanisms by which parties can enforce procedural fairness and challenge administrative decisions. The courts’ powers to substitute decisions (s 28(1)-(2), s 34(1)) provide substantive relief beyond mere declaratory remedies.
Duplication removal process and prescribed administering agency
Section 36 prescribes the specific administering agency an authority holder must apply to when seeking removal of duplicate offset conditions in several subject areas (protected plants, protected areas, marine parks, koalas). The regulation thereby channels enforcement action to the appropriate body; failure to apply to the prescribed agency would subvert the administrative process and likely prejudice the applicant’s ability to obtain relief.
Stays and interim relief
QCAT may stay certain reviewable decisions to secure the effectiveness of internal review and any later external review, subject to conditions (s 20). The Planning and Environment Court may also grant stays on appeal (s 32). The stay provisions operate as an interim enforcement measure affecting the operation or carrying out of decisions while review or appeal is pending. The text specifies that carrying out the decision is only affected if the decision is stayed (s 20(2); s 32(4)).
Absence of monetary or criminal penalties in the regulation
The reproduced regulation text does not include explicit monetary penalties, infringement schemes, or criminal offence provisions. Enforcement therefore relies on the parent Act’s mechanisms, referred permits and statutory constraints under other connected legislation (for example, Nature Conservation Act, Fisheries Act, Land Act, Marine Parks Act) rather than on penalty provisions within this regulation. Users should therefore locate penalty and enforcement provisions in the Act itself or in the other statutes the regulation cross‑refers to.
Practical enforcement consequences
The chief executive’s amendment and revocation powers (ss 11-12) and the courts’ rehearing and substitution powers (ss 26-28, 33-34) create practical instruments for enforcing compliance or correcting decisions. Registers impose recordkeeping obligations that can be used to monitor offset delivery and payments (s 35). Time limits and procedural constraints on review (s 18-19) shape how quickly affected parties need to act to obtain relief; failure to meet these procedural time limits can lead to lost remedies.
In summary, the regulation’s enforcement architecture is administrative and procedural. It prescribes who may act, in what form and timeframe, how registers must disclose offset elections and payments, and it provides administrative and judicial review as the principal enforcement mechanisms. The text does not itself specify fines or sanctions; any such sanctions must be sought in the parent Act or in the other statutes to which the regulation refers.
How it interacts with other laws
The regulation is highly intertextual: it imports definitions and lists from Commonwealth environmental laws, references multiple Queensland Acts and regulations, and channels disputes into external review regimes governed by the QCAT Act and various court rules. The interaction dynamics are both integrative (borrowing lists and instruments) and delimiting (carving out which matters are prescribed, and which agencies handle duplicate conditions).
Incorporation of Commonwealth environmental matters
S 5(1) expressly imports matters defined in the Commonwealth Environment Act (the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cwlth)) as prescribed environmental matters for s 10(1)(a) of the Act. The regulation cites specific sections of the Commonwealth Environment Act that give meaning to "declared World Heritage property" (s 13(1)), "National Heritage place" (s 324C(3)), Ramsar wetlands (s 17), threatened species lists (s 178), threatened ecological communities (s 181), migratory species lists (s 209), and Commonwealth marine areas (s 24). It also incorporates the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) (s 5(1)(h)). For water resources, s 5(1)(i) links to the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) and restricts its operation to the extent action is prohibited under ss 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act.
Cross-references to State statutes and instruments
The regulation prescribes as legally secured offset areas: covenants under the Land Act 1994 (s 373A) and the Land Title Act 1994 (s 97A), declared fish habitat areas under the Fisheries Act 1994 (s 120), and highly protected areas under the Marine Parks Act 2004 (s 7). These references mean that the enforceability and legal character of legally secured offset areas depend on these other Acts’ regimes and instruments.
S 5(3) relies on the Planning Regulation 2017 (schedule 24) to define "urban area" for the purposes of excluding certain State matters when in urban areas. The regulation therefore aligns offset prescriptions with planning law definitions.
S 36 lists several cross‑regime exceptions involving the Nature Conservation Act 1992 (protected plants and protected areas), the Nature Conservation (Plants) Regulation 2020 (protected plant clearing permits), Marine Parks Regulation 2017 (permissions), and State code 25 of the State development assessment provisions (koala habitat). The section prescribes that when duplicate offset conditions relate to those subject matters, the administering agency to apply to is the one that imposed the condition other than where an offset condition was imposed under certain permits or codes. This creates a channeling rule across environmental, parks and planning instruments.
Interaction with the QCAT Act and court rules
For stays, internal review, and external reviews, the regulation refers to the QCAT Act (ss 20, 21) and to the rules of court applicable to appeals in the Land Court and Planning and Environment Court (ss 24-26; 30-33). For example, s 20 allows certain applicants to immediately apply to QCAT for a stay of specified reviewable decisions in order to secure the effectiveness of internal review and any later external review. S 21 says that a person given notice under s 19(2)(b) may apply to QCAT for external review as provided under the QCAT Act.
Allocative effects across statutes
By prescribing which matters are "prescribed environmental matters" (s 5), the regulation allocates where power and responsibility for offsets lie between Commonwealth lists, State lists (schedule 2) and local planning instruments. S 5(4) expressly limits local matters to those where a local planning instrument requires an environmental offset and where the matter is not the same or substantially the same as State or Commonwealth level matters. This prevents duplication across tiers to some extent, but also creates a dependence on local planning instruments for the reach of local‑level offset obligations.
Transitional and saving interactions
Part 9 sets out transitional rules to preserve application of former provisions to certain authorities and pending applications for the Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation 2020 (ss 37-42). These transitional provisions mean agencies and applicants must track both current and former regulatory regimes depending on the timing and nature of authorities and applications.
Practical implications
The regulation’s heavy referencing of other Acts means that compliance requires more than compliance with the regulation itself: proponents and land owners must track definitions and permit regimes under the Land Act 1994, Fisheries Act 1994, Marine Parks Act 2004, Nature Conservation Act 1992 and relevant regulations. It also channels procedural disputes into the established administrative law and appellate frameworks under the QCAT Act, Land Court and Planning and Environment Court rules.
In sum, the regulation does not operate in isolation: it clarifies and binds the offset regime to existing Commonwealth lists, State environmental and land law instruments, local planning instruments, and the administrative and judicial review architecture. That cross‑statutory mapping is explicit in s 5, s 7, s 36 and the transitional provisions in part 9.
Amendment history
The regulation contains inline amendment annotations for several sections that indicate when particular provisions were amended, inserted or omitted. The extract records amendment sources and years adjacent to the relevant sections. The following summarises the amendment history as given in the text itself, without adding material beyond the annotations provided.
Commencement and short title
The regulation's commencement is stated at s 2 as commencing on 1 July 2014. The short title is set out in s 1.
Section 5 (Prescribed environmental matters)
S 5 has multiple amendment annotations: "s 5 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 4; 2017 SL No. 103 s 41; 2018 SL No. 56 s 3" appear adjacent to the main provision. The section also carries further annotation blocks labelling subsections added or amended in 2014 and 2017. These annotations indicate iterative modifications since initial commencement.
Section 6 (Environmental offsets policy)
S 6 displays a long list of amendment entries: "s 6 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 5; 2016 SL No. 104 s 2(2) sch 1; 2017 SL No. 67 s 3; 2017 SL No. 103 s 42; 2018 SL No. 56 s 4; 2018 SL No. 97 s 4; 2019 SL No. 150 s 3; 2020 SL No. 9 s 4; 2020 SL No. 136 s 423; 2021 SL No. 36 s 3; 2021 SL No. 165 s 4; 2022 SL No. 37 s 3; 2022 SL No. 166 s 3; 2023 SL No. 77 s 3; 2023 SL No. 186 s 3; 2024 SL No. 196 s 4; 2025 SL No. 42 s 4". This long series of amendment citations shows the prescribed environmental offsets policy reference has been updated frequently, suggesting the policy reference point is actively maintained via amendment regulation.
Section 7 (Legally secured offset areas)
S 7 shows "s 7 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 6" adjacent to it, indicating an amendment in 2014.
Sections 8 and 9 (Offset delivery plan requirements and matters to consider)
S 8 and s 9 each show "s 8 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 7" and "s 9 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 8" respectively, indicating amendments in the initial year of operation.
Section 10 (Prescribed land)
S 10 displays amendment annotations: "s 10 prev s 10 sub 2014 SL No. 295 s 9 amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 43 om 2020 SL No. 9 s 5 pres s 10 ins 2024 SL No. 196 s 5". This shows instances where the provision was previously in a different form, omitted, and later reinserted or replaced.
Part 6 (Advanced offsets) and sections 13-15
S 13 includes amendments "s 13 def decision-maker amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 44(2); 2020 SL No. 9 s 6 ... s 13 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 10; 2017 SL No. 103 s 44(1)". S 14 and s 15 show amendment annotations (s 14 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 10; s 15 s 14 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 10). This indicates the advanced offsets part has been adjusted since first made.
Part 7 (Review and appeals) and section 16 onwards
S 16 shows "s 16 def appellable decision sub 2014 SL No. 295 s 11" and later "amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 45", indicating definitional changes. S 16A was inserted in 2014 (s 16A ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 12). Section 18 shows amendment (s 18 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 13), s 19 amended (s 19 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 13) and s 20 amended (s 20 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 14). These annotations show the review architecture was fleshed out contemporaneously with commencement and adjusted subsequently.
Section 35 (Register kept by each administering agency)
S 35 contains no inline amendment list in the extract beyond its place, but its content implements the Act’s s 90(1)(b) requirement and prescribes detailed register content.
Section 36 (Administering agency to apply to for removal of duplicate offset condition)
S 36 shows multiple amendment annotations: "s 36 ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 15 amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 47; 2017 SL No. 154 s 199 sch 7; 2020 SL No. 9 s 7; 2020 SL No. 137 s 229 sch 6". This indicates the duplicate removal rules have been revised several times, including changes related to koala habitat and protected plant regimes.
Part 9 (Transitional provisions for Koala Protection Amendment 2020)
Part 9 was inserted or revised with "s 37 prev 37 ins 2014 SL No. 295 s 15 amd 2017 SL No. 103 s 48 om 2020 SL No. 9 s 8 pres s 37 ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9" indicating complex reworking around the 2020 amendment. Sections 38-42 are labelled as "ins 2020 SL No. 9 s 9" showing they were inserted by the 2020 amendment regulation.
The inline annotations therefore show a regulation that has been actively amended multiple times since its commencement in 2014, with particular focus on the prescribed environmental offsets policy reference (s 6), the list of prescribed matters (s 5), the advanced offsets and decision‑maker definitions (s 13-15), duplicate condition removal (s 36), and transitional arrangements related to koala protection (pt 9, ss 37-42). The dates and Statutory Instrument (SL) numbers in the annotations are the only amendment history recorded in the text provided; they should be taken as the regulation’s self‑reported amendment record. Practitioners should consult the consolidated regulation and the listed SL instruments for the precise amendment language and operative dates.
Litigation history
The regulation text provided contains no cited judicial decisions or litigation history. The document itself does not name any cases, nor does it reproduce any court judgments that interpret or apply its provisions. Consequently, the regulation does not record precedents in the text excerpt supplied.
What the regulation does provide, however, is the structured dispute resolution architecture that determines where litigation or review will occur and the procedural mechanics that would govern such proceedings, namely:
Internal review as the initial step for reviewable decisions, with a mandatory application process and defined timelines (ss 17-19). The regulation requires internal review to be sought first (s 17) and sets timeframes for application (s 18) and for the relevant entity’s decision (s 19).
QCAT as a forum for external review and interim stays in particular circumstances. Section 20 allows applicants to immediately apply to QCAT for a stay of certain reviewable decisions (for example those involving the Marine Parks Act 2004 or the Nature Conservation Act 1992) while internal review proceeds, and s 21 authorises applications for external review to QCAT in accordance with the QCAT Act.
Appeals to specialised courts: the Land Court for appellable decisions in relation to offset conditions imposed under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for "resource activities" (s 23-28), and the Planning and Environment Court for appellable decisions relating to offset conditions imposed under the Planning Act or under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 for prescribed ERAs (s 29-34). The regulation prescribes filing processes, service requirements, time limits (22 business days) and that appeals are rehearings (ss 24-26; 30-33). The courts have the same powers as the administering agencies and may confirm, set aside, vary or substitute decisions (ss 27-28; 34).
Because the regulation routes challenges into administrative review and appeal paths (QCAT, Land Court, Planning and Environment Court), the likely litigation history relevant to interpreting its provisions would arise as decisions are reviewed or appealed through those forums. The regulation sets the procedural contours of such litigation: rehearing standard, substitution powers for courts, stay powers, time limits and service obligations. Any analysis of case law, judicial interpretation or contested factual application must therefore be sourced from decisions of QCAT, the Land Court and the Planning and Environment Court that arise after the regulation’s commencement. The regulation itself, in the text provided, contains no case citations to report.
For practitioners, this means:
There are clearly defined venues and procedural rules where legal disputes about offset decisions will be litigated, but one must look outside the regulation to find actual litigation history and judicial interpretation.
The rehearing standard and substitution powers given to the courts (ss 26, 27, 28, 33, 34) indicate that courts will re‑examine both legal and factual questions, rather than confining themselves to review of legal error alone; practitioners should prepare for full case‑on‑its‑merits appeals in the prescribed courts.
QCAT’s stay powers are an available procedural tool in specified contexts (s 20), which may affect strategic decision‑making around seeking interim relief.
Absent case law in the regulation text, parties should search decisions from QCAT, the Land Court and the Planning and Environment Court arising after the relevant decisions to find interpretations, especially on contested concepts such as what counts as a "conservation outcome" for the chief executive’s belief under s 11, or how strictly s 8’s delivery plan requirements are to be read in relation to the reasonableness and practicability statements required.
Gotchas
The regulation contains several specific procedural and substantive points that can cause surprise if overlooked. These "gotchas" are concrete legal mechanics embedded in the text; missing them can affect deliverability, timing, and choice of forum.
Urban area carve-out for State matters (s 5(3))
S 5(3) excludes certain State environmental significance matters from being "prescribed environmental matters" to the extent those matters are in an "urban area" (as defined in Planning Regulation 2017, schedule 24). Practitioners should not assume all state matters automatically require offsets everywhere; the urban area definition can remove the offset trigger for prescribed regional ecosystems, designated precincts, marine plants, and parts of waterways mentioned in schedule 2, in urban locations. This changes whether an offset may be required and whether local planning instruments apply.
The environmental offsets policy is a prescribed, changing external document (s 6)
S 6 prescribes a specific titled document as the environmental offsets policy. The regulation’s amendment annotations show the policy reference has been updated repeatedly (s 6 annotations). Decision‑makers must "have regard to" the relevant environmental offsets policy when deciding advanced offset applications (s 14(2), s 15(2)). Because the policy is external and amendable, the substantive assessment criteria and expectations can shift without amendment of the regulation itself, potentially changing approval prospects mid‑transaction.
Detailed content requirements for offset delivery plans (s 8)
S 8 requires specific statements about measures to secure land as a legally secured offset area and why those measures are reasonable and practicable, and requires the authority holder to identify persons with interests in the land. These are not mere technicalities: failure to adequately identify persons with interests or to provide persuasive legal‑security measures may lead to refusal or delay. Also, s 11 requires consent of each person with an interest in any additional area before the chief executive may amend a declaration to increase area, so undisclosed third‑party interests can block expansion.
Registration and de‑registration of advanced offsets can be changed by owner application (s 14(6))
An owner may apply "at any time" to be removed from the advanced offset register. Registration therefore does not always lock in a long‑term obligation or benefit; it can be undone by the owner, subject to the decision‑maker’s processes (s 14(6)-(7)). This affects the reliability of advanced offsets as bankable conservation credits.
Record of proponent election and payment amounts (s 35)
The administering agency’s register must state whether the authority holder elected proponent‑driven offsets or a financial settlement offset or a combination, and for financial settlements must record the amount paid (s 35(d)-(e)). This creates a public or at least agency trace of the commercial choice and monetary transactions, which can be important for auditing, accounting and future claims about sufficiency of offset delivery.
Internal review is mandatory as first step and timebound (ss 17-19)
Every review of a reviewable decision must initially be by internal review (s 17). S 18 sets a 20 business day filing window and requires the "approved form" and sufficient supporting information; s 19 requires the relevant entity to complete internal review within 28 days and to notify the applicant within 14 days about appeal rights. Failure to observe these procedural windows or form requirements risks forfeiting rights or causing the relevant entity to be treated as confirming the decision if it fails to meet its own timelines (s 19(3)). Additionally, internal review cannot be conducted by the original decision-maker or a less senior officer (s 19(4)), which can complicate administrative handling.
Differing appellate routes depending on the nature of the activity
Appeals against appellable decisions are split between the Land Court (resource activities under the Environmental Protection Act 1994, s 23) and the Planning and Environment Court (decisions under the Planning Act or certain ERAs, s 29). Using the incorrect court or forum could be fatal to a timely appeal. Both appeal processes impose the same 22 business day filing period and service requirements (ss 24-25, 30-31), so timing is critical.
Stay mechanics vary and are discretionary (ss 20, 32)
QCAT and the Planning and Environment Court may grant stays to secure the effectiveness of reviews and appeals, but stays are discretionary, can be given with conditions and for limited periods, and must not extend beyond specified limits (s 20(5); s 32(3)). Parties should not assume that filing an appeal automatically halts the operation of a decision.
Duplicate condition removal is channelled and excludes some imposing agencies (s 36)
When seeking removal of duplicate offset conditions, s 36 prescribes which administering agency must be applied to, with exceptions where one agency is excluded because the offset condition was imposed under a specific permit or code (for example, protected plant clearing permits, marine park permissions, State code 25). Practitioners must identify which offset condition was imposed by which agency under which instrument to route the application correctly.
Transitional rules preserve former regimes for certain authorities and applications (pt 9)
Part 9 preserves the operation of former provisions for authorities given before the commencement of the 2020 Koala Protection amendment regulation and for certain pending applications (s 38-42). Failure to check whether an authority is governed by the former or current regime can lead to applying the wrong standards or missing eligibility for transition benefits.
The regulation prescribes legally secured offset areas but leaves the mechanics of "securing" to other regimes (s 7, s 8)
S 7 lists types of legally secured areas (covenants, declared fish habitat areas, highly protected marine park areas), and s 8 requires a plan to state measures to secure the land. But the specific legal instruments, deed terms and registration steps to create those legally secured instruments are governed by the Land Act, Land Title Act, Fisheries Act, Marine Parks Act and other legislation. Achieving "legal security" therefore requires cross‑statutory compliance and may involve separate approvals, registrations and costs.
No penalties in the regulation text
The regulation contains no explicit penalty provisions. Consequently, compliance enforcement depends on administrative measures, declarations amendments/revocations (ss 11-12), registers, and judicial review/appeals, rather than on in‑regulation fines or sanctions. Practitioners should look to the parent Act and cross‑referred statutes for any enforcement sanctions.
In practice, these "gotchas" translate into transaction risks: timing constraints that can be missed, choice‑of‑forum traps, the need to identify all persons with interests in land, the possibility that a registered advanced offset can be delisted by the owner, and the administrative interdependence of multiple statutes when securing land. Successful navigation requires mapping the specific project against the schedules (which contain the lists), identifying the relevant administering agency, checking whether the matter sits in an urban area, and acting promptly within the prescribed timeframes.
How to comply
Compliance with the regulation requires attention to documentary detail, timely procedural steps, cross‑statutory engagement to secure land, and awareness of review and appeal windows. Below is a practical compliance checklist, mapped to the regulation’s sections, intended for proponents, authority holders, land owners and administering agencies.
Identify whether the project triggers offset obligations
Check whether the activity is a "prescribed activity" under the Act by reference to schedule 1 as captured in s 4. Because schedule 1 is not replicated here, retrieve schedule 1 to confirm whether the proposed activity appears.
Determine whether the environmental feature affected is a "prescribed environmental matter". Use s 5 to check whether it is a national matter (s 5(1)), a State matter in schedule 2 (s 5(2)), or a local matter that is required by a local planning instrument and not duplicative of State or Commonwealth matters (s 5(4)). Confirm whether the affected area is in an "urban area" (Planning Regulation 2017 schedule 24) to see if s 5(3) removes the State matter trigger.
Prepare an offset delivery plan that satisfies s 8 and Act s 18(4)
Use the approved form demanded by s 18 and ensure the plan meets s 8’s specific content requirements: describe the prescribed environmental matter, state whether delivery will be on the specified land, include particulars sufficient to identify the land, identify persons with interests in the land and provide details, describe existing land use and any impact on delivery, and clearly state the measures to legally secure the land, with reasons why the measures are reasonable and practicable and the period for implementing them (s 8).
Identify the legal instruments that will secure the land as a legally secured offset area (for example, covenant under the Land Act or Land Title Act, declared fish habitat area, or other instruments referenced in s 7). Prepare the drafting and registry steps necessary under those other Acts.
Check for cross‑law restrictions and permissions (s 9)
Before finalising the plan, verify whether any activity proposed under the plan is restricted or prohibited, or requires permission under any law (s 9(2)(b)). If permissions are required, obtain them in advance or include them in the plan’s sequencing and feasibility analysis.
Assess the potential impact of undertaking the proposed offset on other prescribed environmental matters on the same land and provide that assessment in the delivery plan (s 9(2)(c)).
Decide and document the offset delivery mechanism
Decide whether to provide a proponent‑driven offset, pay a financial settlement, or use a combination. Record and document this election as it will be entered in the administering agency’s register (s 35(d)).
If using a financial settlement offset, document the amount and be prepared for it to be recorded in the public register (s 35(e)).
For advanced offsets: apply and register (pt 6)
If seeking advanced offset status, the land owner should apply to the relevant decision‑maker in the approved form (s 14(1)). Identify whether the decision‑maker is the local government (local matters) or the chief executive (State/national matters) under s 13.
Provide the information required by the environmental offsets policy and be prepared for the decision‑maker to have regard to that policy (s 14(2), s 15(2)).
Be aware that registration occurs "as soon as practicable" after approval (s 14(4)), but that owners can apply to be removed from the register at any time (s 14(6)). If registering as an advanced offset because the owner expects to sell conservation credits, note that the owner may delist later.
Ensure accurate identification of persons with interests in land
S 8 requires identification and details of any person with an interest in the land. Obtain and disclose encumbrances, mortgages, leases, easements and covenant parties. Consent from those persons may be required if an amendment to a declaration increases the declared area (s 11(3)(c)).
Meet internal review and appeal procedural steps and timeframes
If dissatisfied with a reviewable decision, apply for internal review in the approved form within 20 business days as required by s 18. For reviewable decisions where an information notice is given, note the day the notice is given as the starting point (s 18).
Expect the relevant entity to complete internal review within 28 days (s 19(1)). If it fails to do so, the entity is taken to have confirmed the reviewable decision (s 19(3)).
If an internal review decision is "appellable", the applicant must be told that they may appeal and the period for starting an appeal (s 19(2)(a)). Appeals to courts must be filed within 22 business days of receiving notice or the decision being taken to have been made (s 25; s 31), and a copy of the notice of appeal must be served on the administering agency within 8 business days of filing (s 24(3); s 30(3)). Carefully track these service and filing timelines.
Use stays where necessary and appropriate
For certain reviewable decisions (for example, those relating to Marine Parks Act 2004 or Nature Conservation Act 1992 matters), apply promptly to QCAT for a stay if required while internal review is pending (s 20). Note QCAT’s stay is discretionary and may have conditions (s 20(3)-(4)). Similarly, the Planning and Environment Court can grant stays on appeal (s 32).
Follow the proper route for duplicate condition removal (s 36)
If seeking removal of duplicate offset conditions, identify the subject matter (protected plant, protected area, marine park, koalas) and apply to the administering agency prescribed in s 36. Be particularly careful where an offset condition was imposed under a specific permit,the regulation may exclude the agency that imposed the condition under certain permits from being the agency to apply to (s 36(1)).
Maintain documentation for registers and auditability (s 35)
Administering agencies must keep records of advanced offsets, legally secured offset areas and declaration dates (s 35). Proponents should ensure they provide accurate particulars sufficient to identify areas and detailed descriptions of environmental significance because this is what the register will record (s 35(a)-(c)).
Consider transitional rules for existing authorities and applications (pt 9)
If the authority or application pre‑dates the Koala Protection amendment regulation 2020, confirm whether former provisions continue to apply (ss 38-42). Transitional rules may mean that different standards or processes apply.
Coordinate with other statutory regimes for legal security
To "secure" land as a legally secured offset area in the terms required by s 8 and s 7, coordinate with the Land Act, Land Title Act, Fisheries Act, Marine Parks Act, Nature Conservation Act and relevant regulations. Legal security often requires formal instruments (covenants, declarations) and registration steps under those Acts.
Keep track of policy updates and regulation amendments (s 6)
S 6 prescribes a specific offsets policy document which has been updated multiple times per the amendment annotations. Regularly check the department’s website for the current version of the environmental offsets policy and any amendment regulations that change the prescribed policy reference.
Ensure internal review is not handled by the same decision‑maker (s 19(4))
When applying for internal review, note that the application must not be dealt with by the person who made the reviewable decision or by a person in a less senior office than that person (s 19(4)). For agencies, allocate internal review responsibilities to appropriate senior staff to comply.
Prepare for rehearing appeals and full merits review in court (ss 26, 33)
Appeals to the Land Court or Planning and Environment Court are by way of rehearing and the courts have the same powers as the administering agency (ss 26(2), 27-28; ss 33(2), 34). Prepare factual records and legal submissions accordingly.
Following this checklist will not substitute for project‑specific legal advice because the regulation cross‑refers to other Acts, schedules, and the environmental offsets policy. Practitioners should obtain the full consolidated regulation with schedules and the current version of the prescribed environmental offsets policy, check the Planning Regulation 2017 to determine "urban area" status, and where legal security is to be created, coordinate with the relevant statutory regime identified in s 7.
(a) a declared World Heritage property within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 13 (1) ;
(b) a National Heritage place within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 324C (3) ;
(c) a declared Ramsar wetland within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 17 ;
(d) a threatened species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 178 of that Act;
(e) a threatened ecological community within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 181 of that Act;
(f) a migratory species within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act in a list established under section 209 of that Act;
(g) a Commonwealth marine area within the meaning of the Commonwealth Environment Act, section 24 ;
(h) the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park established under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cwlth) ;
(i) a water resource, within the meaning of the Water Act 2007 (Cwlth) , to the extent the taking of action mentioned in section 24D or 24E of the Commonwealth Environment Act in relation to the water resource is prohibited under either of those sections.
(a) a prescribed regional ecosystem mentioned in schedule 2 , section 2 (2) to (5) or 3 (2) ;
(b) a designated precinct mentioned in schedule 2 , section 5 (1) ;
(c) a marine plant mentioned in schedule 2 , section 11 ;
(d) any part of a waterway mentioned in schedule 2 , section 10 (1) .
(a) an environmental offset for the matter is required under a local planning instrument; and
(b) the matter is not the same, or substantially the same, as— (i) a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or (ii) a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or (iii) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
(i) a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or
(ii) a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or
(iii) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
(i) a matter of national environmental significance mentioned in subsection (1) ; or
(ii) a matter of State environmental significance that is prescribed to be a prescribed environmental matter under subsection (2) ; or
(iii) a matter of State environmental significance mentioned in subsection (3) (a) to (d) .
sec.6 Environmental offsets policy— Act , s 12
sec.6 Environmental offsets policy— Act , s 12
For section 12 (1) of the Act , the document called ‘Queensland Environmental Offsets Policy (version 1.17)’ and published on the department’s website is prescribed to be an environmental offsets policy.
s 6 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 5 ; 2016 SL No. 104 s 2 (2) sch 1 ; 2017 SL No. 67 s 3 ; 2017 SL No. 103 s 42 ; 2018 SL No. 56 s 4 ; 2018 SL No. 97 s 4 ; 2019 SL No. 150 s 3 ; 2020 SL No. 9 s 4 ; 2020 SL No. 136 s 423 ; 2021 SL No. 36 s 3 ; 2021 SL No. 165 s 4 ; 2022 SL No. 37 s 3 ; 2022 SL No. 166 s 3 ; 2023 SL No. 77 s 3 ; 2023 SL No. 186 s 3 ; 2024 SL No. 196 s 4 ; 2025 SL No. 42 s 4
sec.7 Legally secured offset areas— Act , s 29
sec.7 Legally secured offset areas— Act , s 29
Each of the following areas of land is prescribed for section 29 (1) (a) (iii) of the Act —
an area the subject of a covenant under the Land Act 1994 , section 373A or the Land Title Act 1994 , section 97A ;
a declared fish habitat area under the Fisheries Act 1994 , section 120 ;
a highly protected area under the Marine Parks Act 2004 , schedule.
For section 29 (3) (b) of the Act , each area mentioned in section 29 (1) or (2) of the Act is prescribed as legally secured for the purposes of the other Act.
s 7 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 6
(sec.7-ssec.1) Each of the following areas of land is prescribed for section 29 (1) (a) (iii) of the Act — an area the subject of a covenant under the Land Act 1994 , section 373A or the Land Title Act 1994 , section 97A ; a declared fish habitat area under the Fisheries Act 1994 , section 120 ; a highly protected area under the Marine Parks Act 2004 , schedule.
(sec.7-ssec.2) For section 29 (3) (b) of the Act , each area mentioned in section 29 (1) or (2) of the Act is prescribed as legally secured for the purposes of the other Act.
(a) an area the subject of a covenant under the Land Act 1994 , section 373A or the Land Title Act 1994 , section 97A ;
(b) a declared fish habitat area under the Fisheries Act 1994 , section 120 ;
(c) a highly protected area under the Marine Parks Act 2004 , schedule.
pt.3 Requirements about offset conditions
Requirements about offset conditions
sec.8 Requirements for offset delivery plans— Act , s 18 (4) (d)
sec.8 Requirements for offset delivery plans— Act , s 18 (4) (d)
For the Act , section 18 (4) (d) , this section prescribes other requirements that an offset delivery plan must satisfy.
The offset delivery plan must—
describe the prescribed environmental matter to which the offset condition relates; and
state whether the offset condition will be delivered, wholly or partly, on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
include particulars of, or a description sufficient to identify, the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
identify, and contain details of, any person with an interest in the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
describe the existing land use of the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken and any impact that land use may have on the delivery of the offset; and
state—
the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and
why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and
the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and
why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
s 8 amd 2014 SL No. 295 s 7
(sec.8-ssec.1) For the Act , section 18 (4) (d) , this section prescribes other requirements that an offset delivery plan must satisfy.
(sec.8-ssec.2) The offset delivery plan must— describe the prescribed environmental matter to which the offset condition relates; and state whether the offset condition will be delivered, wholly or partly, on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and include particulars of, or a description sufficient to identify, the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and identify, and contain details of, any person with an interest in the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and describe the existing land use of the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken and any impact that land use may have on the delivery of the offset; and state— the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
(a) describe the prescribed environmental matter to which the offset condition relates; and
(b) state whether the offset condition will be delivered, wholly or partly, on the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
(c) include particulars of, or a description sufficient to identify, the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
(d) identify, and contain details of, any person with an interest in the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken; and
(e) describe the existing land use of the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken and any impact that land use may have on the delivery of the offset; and
(f) state— (i) the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and (ii) why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable and practicable; and (iii) the period during which the authority holder will take the measures; and (iv) why the authority holder considers the stated period is reasonable for the purpose of securing the land.
(i) the measures the authority holder will take to secure the land on which the environmental offset will be undertaken as a legally secured offset area; and
(ii) why the authority holder considers the stated measures are reasonable an
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