Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016

The biodiversity offsets scheme will transition to net positive biodiversity outcomes.

For the purposes of giving effect to the objective under subsection (1), the Minister must make a strategy for the transitioning of the biodiversity offsets scheme to deliver net positive biodiversity outcomes.

The strategy must specify the actions required and include targets and time frames for the transition to delivering net positive biodiversity outcomes under the biodiversity offsets scheme.

The Minister must publish the strategy on an appropriate government website.

The Minister may amend the strategy at any time.

The Minister must not amend the strategy unless satisfied the amendment will not reduce the effectiveness of the biodiversity offsets scheme by—

making the targets for the transition to delivering net positive biodiversity outcomes under the scheme less ambitious, or

extending the time frames for the transition to delivering net positive biodiversity outcomes under the scheme.

The Environment Agency Head must review and report on the implementation of the strategy—

12 months after the strategy is published, and

once every 12 months after the first review.