'Enormous sum of money': $40m windfall from NSW environmental offsets sparks calls for inquiry

Consultants from a company that advised government on western Sydney development bought land in the area and profited from taxpayer-funded offsetsEnvironmental consultants from a company that advised governments on major developments in New South Wales have made windfall gains of millions of dollars by selling what's known as conservation offsets for those very same developments to the state and federal governments, a Guardian investigation can reveal.In theory, offsets allow developers to compensate for the environmental damage they cause in one area by undertaking work to deliver an equivalent environmental benefit in another. Continue reading...