New guidelines for environmental offsets

• New environmental offsets guidelines to provide greater clarity, consistency and accountability

• Significant step in State Government's approval reforms

Environment Minister Albert Jacob has today released new guidelines on the use of environmental offsets in assessments and approvals of projects.

"These new guidelines for environmental offsets are the latest measure in a series of State Government reforms to improve the consistency, certainty, transparency and accountability in the determination of environmental offsets," Mr Jacob said.

Offsets are only considered as a last resort after strategies to avoid and mitigate significant environmental impacts have been applied. Offsets are intended to counterbalance the impact of development on environmental and biodiversity values.

The guidelines complement the existing WA Environmental Offsets Policy, which was released in 2011, as well as the public Environmental Offsets Register released in 2013.

"The WA Environmental Offsets Guidelines will further improve how offsets are applied by standardising the approach across all government agencies and departments. This will deliver more consistency and certainty to developers and the community.

"The guidelines also increase transparency and predictability for developers by clarifying when an offset is needed and explicitly defining the factors that will be considered in determining the amount of offset required. It will also clarify the roles and responsibilities of proponents or applicants and government departments."

The Minister said the guidelines were supported by relevant government departments and industry groups.

"The WA Environmental Offsets Guidelines were prepared in collaboration with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy, the Association of Mining and Exploration Companies and the departments of Environment Regulation, Mines and Petroleum and Parks and Wildlife," he said.

      Fact File

• Conservation Council of Western Australia, Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association, Pastoralists and Graziers Association, Urban Development Institute of Australia, and the Western Australian Farmers Federation were consulted on the guidelines and provided valuable feedback on its development

• Guidelines available on the websites of the Office of the Environmental Protection  Authority and the departments of Environment Regulation and Mines and Petroleum

Minister's office - 6552 5800