New Tools and Information for Project Planning in relation to EPBC Act

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The Federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) has released a series of resources intended to inform the community of Australia’s national environmental law (Environment Protection Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)) and how it applies to land management and development. The resources…

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New Koala Regulation For South East Queensland Now In Effect

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The Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Koala Protection) Amendment Regulation commenced on 7 February 2020 and amends the Environmental Offsets Regulation 2014, Planning Regulation 2017, Nature Conservation (Koala) Conservation Plan 2017 and Vegetation Management Regulation 2012 to introduce a new environmental planning framework which applies…

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Draft South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy and Draft Koala Habitat Mapping Released for Consultation

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The Queensland Government has released the Draft South East Queensland Koala Conservation Strategy 2019-2024 (‘the strategy’) and associated draft koala habitat mapping for public consultation. The strategy document outlines measures intended to improve the outlook for south-east Queensland’s koala population. Notably, these measures include reforms…

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Major Amendment to Brisbane City Plan – Biodiversity Provisions now in effect

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Citywide update – Major Amendment Package B – Biodiversity and associated consequential amendments to the balance of the City Plan Brisbane City Council (v17.00/2019) came into effect on 29 November 2019. This amendment package carries the biodiversity areas overlay mapping which (until last Friday 29…

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Changes to the EPBC Act referral process

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On 28 August 2019 I attended the EPBC Act review consultation workshop with the Department of the Environment and Energy (the Department). I participated as a representative of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) in my role as deputy chair of the…

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High Court boosts Queensland councils’ power to limit land clearing

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Queensland councils have won reinforced powers to control land clearing in a High Court decision that affects one-fifth of the state’s land mass, an area the size of Malaysia. The decision is a blow to the development industry and farming lobby, which had warned it…

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New buyers and renters want eco-friendly homes

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New consumer research in Britain has found that around half of new home buyers and tenants under 40 years of age actively seek eco-aware homes, showing that the public is now more conscious of sustainability than ever before.   Read More

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Queensland Environmental Offsets review – Open for Feedback

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The Queensland Government is undertaking an extensive review of the Environmental Offsets Framework with the aim to increase efficiency of offset delivery in moving forward. The review will focus on five key areas: Environmental outcomes Alignment with best practice How the Government measure offsets Security…

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Mulga country graziers struggle to understand new land clearing laws

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Graziers in south-west Queensland are scrambling to understand changes to tree and land clearing laws before they are passed through Parliament.   READ MORE

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Pearl Jam invests in Amazonian reforestation to offset emissions from current Brazil tour

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Rock band Pearl Jam is voluntarily offsetting the carbon emissions of its current tour in Brazil. The band has partnered with Conservation International (CI) in purchasing carbon offsets for the estimated 2,500 tons of carbon dioxide emissions that will be generated by its Brazilian tour…

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Queensland’s vegetation management legislation is changing again – what you need to know – 16 March 2018

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Vegetation clearing laws are again in the spotlight, with the Queensland Government introducing the Vegetation Management and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018 (the Bill) into parliament on 8 March 2018. The controversial Bill contains many components of the previous vegetation clearing “re-instatement” bill, introduced in 2016, which…

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Queensland’s new land clearing bill will help turn the tide, despite its flaws

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ueensland’s Labor government this month tabled a bill to tighten the regulation of land clearing. Queensland is by far the worst offender in this area, following a litany of reversals of vegetation protection. After a period of tightened laws between 2004 and 2013, the Newman government set about unwinding key reforms…

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