Environment assessment and approval process
A person must not take an action that has, will have or is likely to have a significant impact on any of the matters of environmental significance without approval from the Australian Government Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts (the Minister).
An action is a project, a development, an undertaking, an activity or a series of activities, or an alteration of any of these things.
Decide if a proposed action needs to be referred
- Is the proposed action likely to have a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance?
- Is the proposed action likely to have a significant impact on the environment in general (for actions by Commonwealth agencies or actions on Commonwealth land) or the environment on Commonwealth land (for actions outside Commonwealth land)?
No
- Approval is not required from the Minister.
Yes
- Person proposing to take the action makes a referral to the Minister.
Refer your proposed action.
See also
- What is protected under the EPBC Act? - Matters of national environmental significance
- Environment assessment process - fact sheet
- Environment assessment process - referral flowchart
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) - fact sheet
- Bushfire management and national environment law - fact sheet
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