A third of land set aside for restoration in worse state than before, Australian offset audit finds

A site set aside as koala habitat has been found to be cleared paddock under an audit of Australia’s biodiversity offset scheme. Photograph: Loren Elliott/Reuters

A review of some of the areas chosen for nature restoration as part of Australia’s biodiversity offset system has found a third are in worse condition than before, prompting fresh warnings that the scheme is increasing the risk of animals and plants going extinct.

In one instance, the majority of a site that should have provided grey-headed flying fox and koala habitat was found to be “cleared paddock with negligible foraging value”.