Information and opportunities for landholders
Queensland landholders can earn income by using their land to deliver environmental offsets.
Eligible landholders include farmers, First Nations peoples, regional councils, and owners of rural lifestyle blocks and hobby farms.
In addition to income, offsets can create broader benefits for land, including:
- conserve soils and protect water quality
- provide wind breaks and shade
- reduce land management costs, improve agricultural productivity and protect livestock
- increase environmental sustainability status
- enhance recreation and tourism value of their property.
Environmental offsets
An environmental offset compensates for unavoidable impacts on significant environmental matters (e.g. threatened species and ecosystems) on one site, by securing land at another site, and managing that land over time to replace those significant environmental matters which were lost.
Generally, an environmental offset would involve a landholder being paid to undertake agreed management actions (including an incentive payment) to improve the condition of specific environmental values on their land. Alternatively, landholders can be paid for the use of their land for offset delivery by another person.
Landholders can register all or part of their property for environmental offsets through an expression of interest and/or as an advanced offset.
Registering all or part of a property will allow the Queensland Government and other interested parties to identify and potentially use the land to deliver an environmental offset for a particular project, and help minimise the time delay in successfully offsetting the loss of environmental values.
See the list of environmental matters in demand for offsets across the State. This list includes environmental offsets needed for Queensland financial settlement offset fund delivery projects.
In-demand offsets
Next steps
The steps outlined below guide interested landholders through determining which types of environmental offsets a property could be capable of containing, and whether to submit an expression of interest or advanced offset application.
Please note that the offset demand information is intended as a guide in gauging demand for environmental offsets to assist landholders in making a more informed decision on participation.
Expressions of interest and advanced offset applications are still welcomed for offset types not currently on the list of in-demand offsets.
Four-Step Guide to register land as an environmental offset
Follow this Four‑Step Guide to navigate the process to register land as an environmental offset.
Landholders can register their interest to provide a site or sites for environmental offsets by completing an A. expression of interest form or B. advanced offset application.
Step 1
Steps 2 to 4
| Path A | Path B |
|---|---|
| A. Expression of interest registration process | B. Advanced offset application process |
| Step 2A Determine what environmental values are on your property | Step 2B Determine if your land meets the required eligibility |
| Step 3A Submit the expression of interest form | Step 3B Complete the Advanced Offset form and submit your application |
| Step 4A After submitting an expression of interest | Step 4B After completing an advanced offset application |
Path A. Expression of interest registration process
Follow steps 2A to 4A to register an expression of interest.
Path B. Advanced offset application process
Follow steps 2B to 4B to submit an advanced offset application.
Landholders are encouraged to register their land by submitting an expression of interest form prior to submitting their application for an advanced offset. The Queensland Government and interested parties may then view your land as a potential offset earlier, whilst you are preparing the requirements for an advanced offset application.
List of registered advanced offset sites
View the list of registered advanced offset sites on the offsets register.
List of potential offset sites
View the list of potential offset sites from landholder expressions of interest.
Other opportunities and environmental offsets
Other ways you can engage with environmental offset opportunities include:
- register your interest with a private offset broker
- an invitation to Offer may be periodically advertised. To receive email updates about new tender opportunities please register on the QTender website
- learn how you can tender for opportunities, including the process for tendering
- check the offsets register regularly. The register lists offset payments that will be used to deliver future offset projects for the corresponding environmental matters.
- engage with AgForce’s Agriculture, Carbon and the Environment (AgCarE) program certification scheme that allows landholders to self-assess the natural capital on their property and determine a benchmark score on landscape condition. Learn more about the introduction of the AgCarE initiative.
- engage with the advanced environmental offsets process under the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Contact
For assistance registering an advanced offset or submitting a landholder expression of interest form, please contact offsets@detsi.qld.gov.au.
For information on offset delivery from the offsets account and QTender processes, please contact financialoffsets@detsi.qld.gov.au