The NSW Biodiversity Offsets Scheme (BOS) is about to change!

Ahead of the NSW Government’s anticipated response, Lawrence Smith, Executive Director, Commercial, shares his insights into the themes and key recommendations of three recent reports.
 
Penny Sharpe, Minister for Climate Change, Energy and the Environment, said:
 
‘We are committed to fixing biodiversity offsets and stopping runaway land clearing. We have adopted a whole-of-government approach to tackling climate change, and we have boosted environmental protections to their strongest level yet. And we continue to expand protected areas to conserve crucial habitat.’
 
If the key recommendations of these recent reports are effectively adopted, this will support the drive for urgent and positive change in our NSW environment and in our communities.
 
The calls to action are in these three reports:
 

• The 2024 NSW biodiversity outlook report
• The 2024 review of the NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method
• The 2023 independent panel review of the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016

 
There is progress and…hope:
 
NSW DCCEEW is now developing an implementation program to deliver the five-year BAM review report’s 15 immediate and seven short term recommendations.
 
Interestingly, changes required to the BAM resulting from reforms to (BC Act review) legislation will be considered in parallel with the BAM review report recommendations.
 
There isn’t a specific timeline for the NSW Government’s response to the BC Act final report recommendations, however I understand a response is imminent.
 
Below, I have summarised key aspects of each report.
 

The NSW biodiversity outlook report 2024

 
This report covers a large range of indicators from 2007 to 2023, to give a representation of the status and trends of biodiversity across New South Wales. This is the second outlook report.
 
The 2024 NSW biodiversity outlook report states:
 

• 50% of threatened species expected to survive the next 100 years.
• Retention of biodiversity significantly reduced due to habitat loss and climate change.
• Only 29% of the capacity of habitat to support native species remains.

 
Key actions recommended in the report:
 

• Habitat Restoration: Prioritise habitat restoration efforts to enhance biodiversity.
• Threatened Species Conservation: Focus on protecting and recovering threatened species.
• Climate Adaptation: Address climate change impacts on biodiversity.
• Invasive Species Management: Combat invasive species threatening native ecosystems.
• Water Management: Improve water quality and availability for ecosystems.
• Community Engagement: Involve communities in conservation efforts.