Queensland opens inquiry into the 2025 EPBC Act changes: what it means for landholders and developers
By earthtrade | 15 April 2026 | Biodiversity, Offsets, Policy
On 13 April 2026, Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki directed the Queensland Productivity Commission to examine how the 2025 changes to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) are affecting the state. The inquiry will run for 12 months and is open for public submissions.
The outcome matters for anyone working with biodiversity offsets. The Commission’s findings are expected to shape the bilateral agreements that will govern how the new federal regime is administered in Queensland.
What the inquiry will examine
The Treasurer’s terms of reference ask the Commission to look at:
- economic impact of the 2025 reforms, including risks to jobs and investment
- cost-shifting from the Commonwealth to the states
- impacts on major projects and approval timelines
- consequences for agricultural production, land value and land management
- compliance costs, delays and uncertainty for Queensland businesses under the new regime
The Queensland Government has said the inquiry will build an evidence base for its engagement with the Federal Government on how the reforms are implemented.
How the 2025 changes are landing on the ground
The federal reforms were passed late last year, with implementation staged across 2026. They are intended to make environmental assessments more consistent and efficient across jurisdictions.
What we are seeing in practice is a little different. Offset management plans have become longer and more prescriptive. The compliance obligations attached to them have grown. For landholders entering offset agreements, and for developers scoping a project’s environmental obligations, that has meant longer lead times and more paperwork.
earthtrade’s perspective
earthtrade director Thomas Key said the changes had shifted the character of offset arrangements.
The spirit of the legislation is a relationship between property developers and landholders who give up part of their holding as an offset. It has become prescriptive to the point where some of these plans are 400 pages long, and infringements attract significant penalties.
From an environmental point of view, the legislation also needs to acknowledge the realities of managing land in Queensland: weather variability, fire risk, and the ongoing challenge of feral animals and pests.
In our view, a workable offsets system rewards landholders for sustained land management, gives developers clear obligations, and leaves room to manage land through the conditions it actually experiences.
What to watch next
The inquiry will report over the next 12 months. Landholders, developers and industry bodies with direct experience of the new regime can contribute through public submissions.
The bilateral arrangements that follow between Queensland and the Commonwealth are likely to shape the day-to-day experience of the reforms more than the federal Act itself.
How earthtrade can help
earthtrade advises developers, landholders and project proponents across Australia and the UK on biodiversity offsets and stewardship arrangements. If you are weighing up an offset agreement, scoping a project under the new EPBC pathway, or preparing a submission to the inquiry, we are happy to talk through how the changes apply to your situation.
Contact: thomas.key@earthtrade.com.au | earthtrade, Brisbane, Australia and the UK