NSW government passes bill to repair ‘broken’ biodiversity offset scheme

Koalas hanging out in Sydney’s Sutherland shire. New legislation introduces changes aimed at reversing the decline of NSW’s biodiversity. Photograph: Mel Clarke

The New South Wales parliament has passed the “biggest reforms to the biodiversity offsets scheme since its inception” after inquiries triggered by a 2021 Guardian Australia investigation.

The legislation, promised by the Minns government before the 2023 election, introduces changes aimed at reversing the decline of the state’s biodiversity and improving the integrity of the offsets scheme.