Approvals were adding value to land developers balance sheets, Brisbane-based biodiversity consultancy earthtrade said. earthtrade director Thomas Key was commenting on the difficulty of clearing regulatory hurdles, in particular the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Development approvals sat at various stages across the Queensland minerals, coal and gas industries, Mr Key said. Related:…
Queensland’s renewables sector has regained its footing after a period of policy uncertainty, according to Brisbane-based biodiversity offsets consultancy earthtrade. The uncertainty began with the change of state government. Since taking power, the LNP has scrapped Queensland’s legislated renewable and emissions targets, extended the life of coal-fired power stations and backed gas. Related: What Do…
Junior explorers across Far North Queensland’s Herberton-Chillagoe region have been urged to get their environmental approvals under way as a priority. Brisbane-based offsets consultancy earthtrade said the EPBC Act process could take between 12 and 18 months. Herberton became famous for a major tin discovery in the 1880s. Precious and base-metals mining ran through the Chillagoe district for…
A backed-up planning schedule, more measured government processes and a shortage of specialist environmental consultants were reshaping Queensland’s ecology services sector. The shift was underlined by the recent buyout of Brisbane-based ecologists e2m by global environmental services company WSP. WSP agreed in July 2026 to acquire e2m, a Queensland ecology and environmental consultancy, in a deal still subject…
Thomas Key, CEO earthtrade State offsets vs the EPBC Act: which do I need — one, both, or neither? The quick answer to the title is the defining feature of offsets. Simply put, it depends. It depends on which state, which trees, and potentially, what kind of developer you are and where you are doing…
What do biodiversity offsets cost in Queensland in 2026? From $5k–$7k/ha land to $70k+ per impact hectare — what drives pricing for developers and landholders.
The mining industry was the most underestimated land developer in the country according to Brisbane-based biodiversity offsets consultancy earthtrade. Mining proponents were lifting the bar on biodiversity offsets under Australia’s revamped national environment laws, said earthtrade director Alan Key. The Federal Environment Protection Reform Act 2025, which amends the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act…
Senior figures in the land management sector say tougher federal biodiversity offset requirements are alienating stakeholders. Changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, passed in late 2025 and being phased in through 2026, were pitched as a way to create clearer national rules, strengthen environmental protection and make project assessment more consistent. …
Changes to federal environment protection law is putting land developers in a costly Catch-22, according to Brisbane biodiversity offsets specialist earthtrade. Reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), passed by federal parliament in November 2025, were intended to create a more consistent and less time-consuming approvals process. Many proponents were now being asked…
Greenfield developers, including mining and resources proponents, are being urged to scrutinise draft federal environment standards. The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water was seeking feedback on the exposure draft of the National Environmental Standard for Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES Standard). Consultation closed in late May. The standard sits under reforms to…
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