Actions in Commonwealth marine areas affecting the environment
(1) A person must not take in a Commonwealth marine area an action that has, will have or is likely to have a significant impact on the environment.
Civil penalty:
(a) for an individual--5,000 penalty units;
(b) for a body corporate--50,000 penalty units.
Actions outside Commonwealth marine areas affecting those areas
(2) A person must not take outside a Commonwealth marine area but in the Australian jurisdiction an action that:
(a) has or will have a significant impact on the environment in a Commonwealth marine area; or
(b) is likely to have a significant impact on the environment in a Commonwealth marine area.
Civil penalty:
(a) for an individual--5,000 penalty units;
(b) for a body corporate--50,000 penalty units.
Fishing in State or Territory waters managed by Commonwealth
(3) A person must not take in the coastal waters (as defined in the Fisheries Management Act 1991 ) of a State or the Northern Territory an action:
(a) that:
(i) is fishing (as defined in the Fisheries Management Act 1991 ); and
(ii) is included in the class of activities forming a fishery (as defined in that Act) that is managed under the law of the Commonwealth as a result of an agreement made under section 71 or 72 of that Act before the commencement of this section; and
(b) that:
(i) has or will have a significant impact on the environment in those coastal waters; or
(ii) is likely to have a significant impact on the environment in those coastal waters.
Civil penalty:
(a) for an individual--5,000 penalty units;
(b) for a body corporate--50,000 penalty units.
Exceptions to prohibitions
(4) Subsection (1), (2) or (3) does not apply to an action if:
(a) an approval of the taking of the action by the person is in operation under Part 9 for the purposes of the subsection; or
(b) Part 4 lets the person take the action without an approval under Part 9 for the purposes of the subsection; or
(c) there is in force a decision of the Minister under Division 2 of Part 7 that the subsection is not a controlling provision for the action and, if the decision was made because the Minister believed the action would be taken in a manner specified in the notice of the decision under section 77, the action is taken in that manner; or
(d) the person taking the action is the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency; or
(e) the action is an action described in subsection 160(2) (which describes actions whose authorisation is subject to a special environmental assessment process).
Note: Section 28 regulates actions by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency with a significant impact on the environment.
Exception--fishing in Commonwealth waters managed by State
(5) Subsection (1) does not apply to an action if the action:
(a) is fishing (as defined in the Fisheries Management Act 1991 ); and
(b) is included in the class of activities forming a fishery (as defined in that Act) that is managed under the law of a State or the Northern Territory as a result of an agreement made under section 71 or 72 of that Act before the commencement of this section; and
(c) is permitted under a law of the State or Territory.
Exception--fishing outside Commonwealth marine areas
(6) Subsection (2) does not apply to an action that:
(a) is fishing (as defined in the Fisheries Management Act 1991 ); and
(b) is permitted under a law of a State or self - governing Territory.