Environmental offsets
To ensure we maintain a safe and reliable electricity supply to you, there will be times when we cannot avoid accessing sites and trimming or removing vegetation.
When we plan and build powerlines we conduct a thorough environmental assessment to determine the consequences of works and to consider the appropriate course of action. If environmental impacts to vegetation and wildlife are unavoidable due to the construction of powerlines, we implement our Environmental Offset Policy (PDF 478.7 kb).
In those instances when native vegetation is cut down, we are required to plant trees or initiate other environmental projects in the area to offset the vegetation removed. Various government policies and rulings can trigger an environmental offset obligation for us.
When fulfilling our environmental offset obligations, we seek to optimise the environmental and community benefit, as well as exercise sound business practices. We aim to maximise every environmental offset dollar spent to offer both best value to customers and to create a lasting legacy for future generations.
Our environment offset activities
We deliver environmental offset projects in partnership with various local organisations such as Seqwater, local councils and conservation groups throughout South East Queensland. This allows these organisations and ourselves to pool resources, funds, expertise and skills to deliver enduring and cost effective offsets that:
- enrich wildlife habitat and corridors
- improve biodiversity
- enhance landscapes
- develop community recreational areas
- stabilise waterways and control erosion
- improve water supplies
What we have delivered so far
Since 2010, we have:
- planted approximately 270,000 trees on 190 hectares of land in the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Gympie Regional Council, Redland City, Brisbane City and Moreton Bay Regional Council areas on land managed by Local Government or Seqwater to increase Koala habitat and support Koala conservation;
- restored sections of badly degraded waterways in South East Queensland throughout the Lockyer, Brisbane and Bremer River catchments to enhance vegetation growth and prevent further soil erosion in partnership with SEQ Catchments;
- contributed to the design of a fish passage on the Mary River at Crump Weir, Gympie, which will open 250 km of river reaches to up and down stream fish movements that will help the recovery of Mary River cod, Mary River turtles and Queensland lungfish;
- purchased 279 hectares of bushland within the strategic Flinders Peak – Karawatha Regional Corridor as a contribution to regional wildlife conservation outcomes in South East Queensland.
Our current environmental offset list
We are proud of our environmental offset activities developed in partnership with local organisations throughout South East Queensland. These projects achieve cost efficiencies and meet, or even exceed, government requirements while maximising conservation outcomes. We work with the community to deliver and maintain these environmental offset projects to offer long lasting benefits future generations can enjoy.
View our current list
We are involved in 18 projects as part of the environmental offsetting program associated with our capital works program. These projects have delivered the planting of around 180,000 trees along with restoration work and a range of other environmental activities for local communities.
For further details on individual offset sites please email our environmental experts.
| Region | Site | Environmental offset activity | Local Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane City Council | Granard Wetlands, Rocklea | Planting 25,000 plants | Brisbane City Council, Oxley Creek Catchment Association & local businesses |
| Gold Coast City Council | Pimpama-Coomera Koala Habitat Corridor | 87,650 trees planted | Gold Coast City Council, SEQ Catchments |
| Gympie Regional Council | Victoria Bridge Conservation Area, Gympie | 7,500 trees planted and the creation of a community recreation space | Gympie Regional Council, Landscape Conservation |
| Gympie Regional Council | Gympie Weir, Gympie | Design of a fishway to restore fish movement and breeding in the Mary River | Seqwater |
| Logan City Council | Undullah | Restoration of regional ecosystems, koala habitat, wetlands and watercourses | |
| Moreton Bay Regional Council | Golds Scrub, North Pine Dam, Dayboro | 9,000 trees planted | Seqwater, SEQ Catchments |
| Moreton Bay Regional Council | Whiteside, North Pine Dam, Whiteside | 9,000 trees planted | Seqwater, SEQ Catchments |
| Moreton Bay Regional Council | North Pine River | 14,400 trees planted | Seqwater, SEQ Catchments |
| Redland City Council | Kidd St, Redland Bay | 709 trees planted | Redland City Council, Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordination Committee (B4C) |
| Redland City Council | Homestead Park Koala Corridor | 10,800 trees planted | Redland City Council, SEQ Catchments, local residents |
| Scenic Rim Regional Council | Warrill Creek, Tarome | Restoration of waterway | SEQ Catchments |
| Scenic Rim Regional Council | Bicentenary Reserve, Boonah | 755 trees planted | Scenic Rim Regional Council |
| Scenic Rim Regional Council | Ill Bogan Reserve, Logan River, Beaudesert | 263 trees planted | Scenic Rim Regional Council |
| Scenic Rim Regional Council | The Shelf Rd, Mt Tamborine | Restoration of rainforest | Scenic Rim Regional Council, Tamborine Land Care, Landscape Conservation |
| Somerset Regional Council | Brisbane River-Lockyer Creek, Lowood/Patrick Estate | Restoration of the confluence of Lockyer Creek & Brisbane River | SEQ Catchments |
| Somerset Regional Council | Wivenhoe Dam, Pine Hill | 12,600 trees planted | Seqwater, SEQ Catchments |
| Sunshine Coast Regional Council | Baroon Pocket Dam, Maleny | 1,080 trees planted | Seqwater, SEQ Catchments |
| Sunshine Coast Regional Council | London Creek Environmental Reserve Agreement 1, Peachester | 27,000 trees planted | Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Landscape Conservation |
| Sunshine Coast Regional Council | London Creek Environmental Reserve Agreement 2, Peachester | Restoration of London Creek | Sunshine Coast Regional Council |
Do you want more information on our environmental offsets? Email our environmental experts today.