Under the Commonwealth Environmental Offsets Policy 2012 and the Queensland Environmental Offsets Act 2014, the Blackwater North Mine Expansion requires residual impacts to Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) and Matters of State Environmental Significance (MSES) to be offset.
Our Services
Our team was commissioned to undertake an Offsets Area Management Plan for the Blackwater North Mine Expansion project to document how the offset area acquits significant impacts of the development on MNES and MSES and how the offset area would be managed.
Our services included conducting a review of the existing ecological reports identifying the MNES and MSES including koala, ornamental snake and Australian painted-snipe and regulated vegetation including endangered regional ecosystems (REs) and watercourse vegetation.
By undertaking a desktop assessment and gap analysis of the existing ecological reports, reviewing and analysing records and data sets relating to vegetation and targeted species in the surrounding area, the team mobilised to undertake targeted field surveys in accordance with the relevant Commonwealth and State methods and guidelines.
Detailed Services:
- Fauna Surveys
- Regional Ecosystem Verification
- GIS
- Remote Sensing
- Map production
- Data capture programs
- Data management
- Offset suitability assessment
- Offset delivery options
- Offset calculation
- Offset area management plans
Outcomes
The Offset Area Management Plan to support approvals and Environmental Impact Statements was completed in accordance with the Commonwealth Environmental Management Plan Guidelines. Our ability to expedite reporting to co-ordinate with project delivery timeframes and manage the seasonality challenges inherent in identifying and monitoring the identified species delivered a great outcome for the client.
