Project: Inland Rail (B2G, G2H, H2C, C2K)
Client: ARTC
2020 – Ongoing
Inland Rail is a once-in-a-generation infrastructure project that will strengthen Australia’s supply chains by completing the backbone of the national freight network. Spanning over 1,700 km and comprising 13 individual projects, Inland Rail will connect Melbourne to Brisbane via regional Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. It is the largest freight rail infrastructure project in Australia and one of the most significant globally.
The Challenge
To fulfil their environmental offset obligations triggered by the Border to Gowrie (B2G), Gowrie to Helidon (G2H), Helidon to Calvert (H2C), and Calvert to Kagaru (C2K) project stages, Inland Rail developed an Environmental Offset Delivery Strategy which provides a framework and delivery pathway to present a portfolio of offset properties that meet all Matters of Environmental Significance obligations at National, State, and Local levels (MNES; MSES, MLES). To meet these obligations, the Strategy outlines an extensive list of requirements and recommendations when considering offset properties.
Inland Rail engaged Ausecology as their offset delivery partner to develop key offset delivery components, specifically
- Standalone Environmental Offset Proposals for the Queensland project stages
- The Queensland Environmental Offset Delivery Strategy
- Interim Property Management Plans and Offset Area Management Plans.
Developing these components of the Inland Rail infrastructure project would require an in-depth understanding of relevant legislation at a Federal and State level, extensive desktop and on-ground research and analysis, and effective liaising with landholders and government regulators to ensure efficient and cost-effective delivery.
Environmental Offset Proposal Development
Development of the required EOPs began with conducting a series of detailed ecological assessments to identify potential offset properties that met MNES, MSES, and MLES obligations. These assessments valued land suitability on a range of qualities, considering habitats, existing conservation areas, and long-term viability as an offset. Using a combination of desktop assessments and targeted ecological investigations at candidate offset sites, Ausecology successfully developed a preliminary offset plan separate EOPs for each of the four project stages.
Regulatory Compliance
Due to the scale of the project, Ausecology’s exhaustive knowledge on navigating regulatory compliance at both a State and Federal level was invaluable. Ausecology compiled and submitted all required regulatory documentation with upmost priority given to ensuring consistency with Commonwealth and State offset policies. Throughout the project, Ausecology worked closely with government regulators to address feedback, refine proposals, and secure necessary approvals for offset implementation.
The Outcome
Ausecology’s structured and strategic approach to offset delivery for Inland Rail’s Queensland projects resulted in several key successes. Standalone EOPs for the B2G, G2H, H2C, and C2K were developed and submitted, while ensuring compliance with the EPBC Act and Queensland’s offset framework. In support of the primary approval process, Ausecology also successfully facilitated government engagement on offset delivery including habitat quality metrics and species habitat indices.
A strategically located offset property was identified and secured, fulfilling all MNES, MSES, and MLES obligations. As per these obligations, the property adjoined protected areas and conservation reserves, ensuring strong ecological connectivity and supporting self-sustaining populations of key threatened species. Ausecology developed long-term management strategies tailored to the flora, location, and threatened species of the property, with a focus on habitat restoration, weed and pest control, fire management, and ecological monitoring.
During the assessment phase, Ausecology conducted early ecological investigations which enabled proactive issue resolution and refined offset strategies. Ausecology also delivered a framework for ongoing land stewardship and sustained ecological outcomes with detailed Offset Area Management Plans and Property Management Plans.
Ausecology’s expertise and strategic approach enabled the successful delivery of a robust, compliant, and ecologically effective offset program for Inland Rail’s Queensland projects. This work ensures that Inland Rail will meet its State and Federal environmental obligations while achieving meaningful and cost-effective landscape-scale conservation gains.
