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Independent review of the

Environment Protection and
Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

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  Interim Report
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Downloads

• The Australian Environment Act: Report of the Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (PDF - 5.12 MB) |  (RTF - 6.27 MB)
• Fact sheets
  1.  The Independent review process (PDF - 34 KB) |  (RTF - 48 KB)
  2.  Conclusions and recommendations (PDF - 40 KB) |   (RTF - 69 KB)
  3.  Ecosystems of national significance (PDF - 27 KB) |   (RTF - 43 KB)
  4.  Regional forest agreements (PDF - 9 KB) |   (RTF - 40 KB)
  5.  Climate change (PDF - 24 KB) |   (RTF - 53 KB)
  6.  Improving regulatory efficiency (PDF - 27 KB) |   (RTF - 41 KB)
  7.  Heritage (PDF - 14 KB) |   (RTF - 32 KB)
  8.  National Environmental Commissioner and Commission (PDF - 22 KB) |   (RTF - 35 KB)
  9.  Investment in regulatory efficiency (PDF - 16 KB) |  (RTF - 55 KB)

About the report

On 30 October 2009, Dr Allan Hawke presented his final report for the independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) — The Australian Environment Act: Report of the Independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 — to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.

The Minister tabled the report in Parliament, as required by section 522A of the Act, on 21 December 2009.

The aim of the report is to review the performance of the Act and, consistent with the objective of protecting the environment and biological diversity and maintain ecological processes, to recommend reforms that:

• promote the sustainability of Australia's economic development
• reduce and simplify the regulatory burden
• ensure activities under the Act represent the most efficient and effective ways of achieving desired environmental outcomes
• are based on an effective federal arrangement.

Contents

• Title, Letter of Transmittal and contents (PDF - 182 KB) |  (RTF - 172 KB)
• Part I (PDF - 303 KB) |  (RTF - 440 KB)
• Part I: Recommendations (PDF - 191 KB) |  (RTF - 515 KB)
• Chapter 1: Operating Framework of the Act (PDF - 187 KB) |  (RTF - 184 KB)
• Chapter 2: A National Approach (PDF - 232 KB) |  (RTF - 230 KB)
• Chapter 3: Regional Approaches (PDF - 261 KB) |  (RTF - 307 KB)
• Chapter 4: Matters Of National Environmental Significance (PDF - 288 KB) |  (RTF - 351 KB)
• Chapter 5: Biodiversity (PDF - 237 KB) |  (RTF - 333 KB)
• Chapter 6: Current and Emerging Threats (PDF - 154 KB) |  (RTF - 175 KB)
• Chapter 7: Individual Project Approvals (PDF - 232 KB) |  (RTF - 250 KB)
• Chapter 8: Heritage (PDF - 169 KB) |  (RTF - 157 KB)
• Chapter 9: Protected Areas and Management Planning (PDF - 179 KB) |  (RTF - 261 KB)
• Chapter 10: Regional Forest Agreements (PDF - 165 KB) |  (RTF - 124 KB)
• Chapter 11: Marine and Fisheries (PDF - 194 KB) |  (RTF - 214 KB)
• Chapter 12: Wildlife Trade (PDF - 152 KB) |  (RTF - 184 KB)
• Chapter 13: Decision-making under the Act (PDF - 163 KB) |  (RTF - 157 KB)
• Chapter 14: Transparency of processes under the Act, including public participation (PDF - 189 KB) |  (RTF - 162 KB)
• Chapter 15: Review Mechanisms and Access to Courts (PDF - 205 KB) |  (RTF - 216 KB)
• Chapter 16: Compliance and Enforcement, Monitoring and Audit (PDF - 204 KB) |  (RTF - 276 KB)
• Chapter 17: Cost Recovery (PDF - 139 KB) |  (RTF - 171 KB)
• Chapter 18: Relationship with other Commonwealth legislation (PDF - 268 KB) |  (RTF - 330 KB)
• Chapter 19: National Environmental Accounts (PDF - 154 KB) |  (RTF - 185 KB)
• Chapter 20: Governance arrangements for decision making (PDF - 209 KB) |  (RTF - 207 KB)
• Appendix 1: Terms of Reference (PDF - 69 KB) |  (RTF - 18 KB)
• Appendix 2: List of Submitters and List of Commentators on Interim Report (PDF - 151 KB) |  (RTF - 553 KB)
• Appendix 3: List of Persons and Organisations Met with as Part of the Formal Public Consultations for the Independent Review of the EPBC Act and List of Attendees of Workshops held for the Independent Review of the EPBC Act (PDF - 126 KB) |  (RTF - 277 KB)
• Appendix 4: International Agreements (PDF - 116 KB) |  (RTF - 107 KB)
• Appendix 5: Acronyms and Abbreviations used in this Report (PDF - 112 KB) |  (RTF - 176 KB)
• Appendix 6: Reviewer's Response to the Independent Review of Australia's Quanrantine and Biosecurity Arrangements (Beale Review) (PDF - 633 KB) |  (RTF - 187 KB)