IMPLEMENTING AN OFFSET: MORE THAN A MASS BALANCE EQUATION

Ross Bigwood

Paul Maxwell

Shannon Mooney

Nutrient offset history in Queensland, Australia

2014

• Flexible options for managing point source water emissions: A voluntary market-based mechanism for nutrient management

2017

• Point-Source Water Quality Offsets Policy – Consultation Draft

2019

• Revised policy anticipated

Simple mass balance equation

Total mass is conserved:

Total Mass in = Total Mass out + Total Mass accumulated

Environmental Offset – mass balance

Pilot Project: Beaudesert2013 2015

2016 2017

How do we ensure we are getting value for money?

• Are there additional benefits that contribute to:

• The catchments where work is planned

• Water quality; local and downstream

• Habitat connectivity

• Community aspirations

• Recreational use and waterway appreciation

• Farming and food security

• Flood resilience

• ….

Laidley Creek case study

Ex-Tropical cyclone impacts

Bank reprofiling; Grade control structures

Creating floodplain roughness

Recovery process

• Strong local community,

government and industry support

• Building upon existing relationships

and developed trust

• Whole-of-farm planning workshops

• Expert geomorphic and agronomic

advise

• Reach scale coordinated planning

What do community relationships and flood

recovery activities have to do with

nutrient offset delivery?

Community / stakeholder relationships

•Presence

•Trust

•Maturity

Science / data / information

•Plans

•Supporting information

•Assessments

•Interpretation

Policy / legislative maturity

•Risk appetite

•Wllingness

Experience

•Delivery

•Capability

•Internal

•External

Lockyer

Total stream length 960 km

Master plan 24 km

% of stream 2.5%

Impacts on:

• Catchment health

• Natural Resource Management Plan targets

• Community sense of achievement

Lockyer 2018(D+)

Riparian vegetation

Freshwater health

Wetlands

Pollutant loads

2.5%

improvement= C-

Summary

Meaningful relationships

Quality information transfer and

understanding

Enduring multi-benefit

solutions

Level 19, 160 Ann St, Brisbane QLD 4000

PO Box 13204, George St, Brisbane Qld 4003, Australia

T. 07 3177 9100 | F. 07 3177 9190

hlw.org.au