Minter Ellison's popular report on the fundamentals of doing business in Australia.
We provide a broad range of advice and representation on matters arising under the various state and territory laws and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act). This includes the preparation of due diligence advice for the acquisition of major infrastructure with the potential to affect native vegetation and associated biodiversity values and advice as to the approvals regimes in relation to vegetation clearance. We have extensive experience in the negotiation of vegetation and biodiversity management agreements as well as the preparation of applications under the EPBC Act. Our key point of difference is that we work as a team across all jurisdictions, with the benefit of strategic and commercial advice that comes with thorough local knowledge.
The Queensland Biodiversity Offset Policy came into effect on 3 October 2011. The state wide Policy requires offsets for a broad range of activities - including level 1 mining, petroleum and gas activities, the construction of state-controlled roads and most environmentally relevant activities. This alert explains how the Policy will apply, the exemptions, and implications for future developments.