Environmental Offsets Program & partnerships

This page provides details on the City’s Environmental Offsets Program (the Program) and how to partner with us to enhance our natural city. For information on how to apply for a local government offset under the City Plan visit Environmental offsets.

The Program was established in 2012 to assist entities to deliver Local, State and Commonwealth environmental offsets.

To balance impacts to the environment, government legislation may require that a project delivers environmental offsets. A key principle of environmental offset legislation is to first avoid, and then to mitigate impacts on native vegetation.

The Environmental Offsets Program ensures the delivery of offsets of a high standard and enhances outcomes for our natural environment.

Milestones achieved through the City Plan and industry partnerships since 2012:

  • attracted 12.8 million dollars in direct restoration funding
  • created 20 State approved advanced offsets
  • delivered 151 hectares of restoration
  • planted 377,924 total stems
  • assisted to build the northern koala corridor and the city's other Critical Corridors.

Environmental offset projects delivered in the city:

  • align with Our Natural City Strategy 2032. This benefits aspects of our natural environment network, including
    - critical corridors,
    - substantial remnants, and
    - pinch points
  • contribute towards our 51% native vegetation cover target
  • provide improved nature-based recreation opportunities
  • enhance the aesthetics of recreation parks
  • manage stormwater quality and quantity, and
  • reduce financial pressure on ratepayers by funding ongoing maintenance of City-managed land.

Partnering with us

The Environmental Offset External Investment Governance Policy guides how the City partners with government agencies and companies to deliver offsets.

The advantages of partnering with us to fulfil offset obligations are:

  • Access to a team of experienced restoration and offset officers. Our officers have experience with offset legislation, restoration techniques and mechanisms for legal security of sites.
  • Delivery of high-quality offsets. We use biodiverse planting principles in the restoration of cleared regional ecosystems.
  • Local knowledge of site conditions and strategic locations within the natural environment network
  • Selection of registered advanced offset sites for South East Queensland koala habitat. These can be used to discharge an offset obligation.
  • Allowing replacement of the impact within the local government boundary.
  • Availability of pre-drafted offset agreement contracts and offset management plans. Available for partners to use to progress negotiations.
  • Economic viability and competitiveness, due to our ownership of offset receiving sites.

Contact us

If you wish to partner with us please email environmentaloffsets@goldcoast.qld.gov.au

Offset projects within our city

We deliver these projects using funds from government and industry partnerships.

We pride ourselves on our high-quality approach to ecological restoration outcomes. Ongoing monitoring of these environmental offset projects showcase the success of the program. Reported observations include:

  • increased vegetation cover and condition
  • habitat utilisation by many species including the koala.

Delivered offset sites

Site name Matter replaced Total trees planted Koala trees planted
McCoys Creek Reserve City Plan
Offset Project 1
Koala habitat
(State)
35,000 12,960
Pimpama River Conservation Area
City Plan Offset Project 2
Koala habitat
(State)
23,000 10,000
Hinterland Regional Park
City Plan Offset Project 3a
Koala habitat
(State)
8300 6640
Hinterland Regional Park
City Plan Offset Project 3b
Medium Priority Vegetation
(Local)
11,526 8998
Coogera South Conservation Area
City Plan Offset Project 4
Koala habitat
(State)
17,500 6683
Pimpama River Parklands
City Plan Offset Project 5
Koala habitat
(State)
26,900 5443
Coogera South Conservation Area
City Plan Offset Project 6
Medium Priority Vegetation
(Local)
38,636 10,775
Wonga Park
City Plan Offset Project 7
Koala habitat
(State)
6673 1759
Pimpama Rivers Conservation Area
Department of Education
Koala habitat
(State)
31,000 19,536
Eddie Kornhauser Reserve
Department of Transport and Main Roads
Koala habitat
(State)
14,000 10,080
Lower Beechmont Conservation Area
Department of Transport and Main Roads
Koala habitat
(Federal)
24,000 12,955
Pimpama Rivers Conservation Area
Energex
Koala habitat
(State)
96,000 56,000
Pimpama Rivers Conservation Area
Gold Coast Waterways Authority
Koala habitat
(State)
5000 2400
Numinbah Conservation Area
City of Gold Coast Parks & Recreation
Koala habitat
(Voluntary)
11,000 7000
Stage Coach Reserve
VISY Glass Operations (Australia) Pty Ltd
Koala habitat
(Federal)
22,509 7038
Coombabah Conservation Area
City of Gold Coast Water & Waste
Koala habitat
(State)
6880 4220

Advanced offset sites

Site name Area (hectares) Non-juvenile Koala habitat tree capacity
(stems)
Austinville Conservation Area 6.42 3402
Citriodora Park 9.22 5659
Coombabah Conservation Area
Greenview Circuit Section
2.55 2011
Coombabah Lakelands Conservation Area 7.26 9350
Coombabah Conservation Area
Tee Trees Section
2.46 1873
Enkleman Road Farm Reserve A 9.37 6744
Enkleman Road Farm Reserve B 9.32 6400
King Parrot Reserve A 11.5 7535
King Parrot Reserve B 3.32 1825
Lower Beechmont Conservation Area 4.15 2224
Lower Beechmont Conservation Area A 3.99 2339
Lower Beechmont Conservation Area B 1.68 934
Lower Beechmont Conservation Area C 1.89 1018
Mirambeena Drive Parklands – Creek Street 9.15 10,718
Numinbah Conservation Area 1.58 1732
Numinbah Conservation Area 8.61 9293
Pocket Road Conservation Area 4.02 3851
Upper Coomera Conservation Area – Breamlea Terrace 1.8 1461
Wongawallan Conservation Area – Cedar Creek Road 6.8 5516
Wongawallan Conservation Area – Lanes Road 13.67 10,659