Point Source Water Quality Offsets Policy
The Point Source Water Quality Offsets Policy 2019 describes how existing or new environmental authority holders under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) can implement water quality offsets.
Water quality offsets may be adopted as a voluntary option for managing environmentally relevant activities under the EP Act when wastewater containing prescribed offset contaminants (nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended solids) is discharged into receiving waters.
Examples of water quality offset investments include:
- riparian area restoration
- streambank and gully restoration
- constructed or remediated wetlands
- bioremediation technology (point source).
Water quality offset conditions apply under the policy to ensure an improvement is delivered to water quality in the receiving waters due to the alternative investment options.
