Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

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ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACT 1999 - SECT 3

Objects of Act

  (1)   The objects of this Act are:

  (a)   to provide for the protection of the environment, especially those aspects of the environment that are matters of national environmental significance; and

  (b)   to promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources; and

  (c)   to promote the conservation of biodiversity; and

  (ca)   to provide for the protection and conservation of heritage; and

  (d)   to promote a co - operative approach to the protection and management of the environment involving governments, the community, land - holders and indigenous peoples; and

  (e)   to assist in the co - operative implementation of Australia's international environmental responsibilities; and

  (f)   to recognise the role of indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity; and

  (g)   to promote the use of indigenous peoples' knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in co - operation with, the owners of the knowledge.

  (2)   In order to achieve its objects, the Act:

  (a)   recognises an appropriate role for the Commonwealth in relation to the environment by focussing Commonwealth involvement on matters of national environmental significance and on Commonwealth actions and Commonwealth areas; and

  (b)   strengthens intergovernmental co - operation, and minimises duplication, through bilateral agreements; and

  (c)   provides for the intergovernmental accreditation of environmental assessment and approval processes; and

  (d)   adopts an efficient and timely Commonwealth environmental assessment and approval process that will ensure activities that are likely to have significant impacts on the environment are properly assessed; and

  (e)   enhances Australia's capacity to ensure the conservation of its biodiversity by including provisions to:

  (i)   protect native species (and in particular prevent the extinction, and promote the recovery, of threatened species) and ensure the conservation of migratory species; and

  (ii)   establish an Australian Whale Sanctuary to ensure the conservation of whales and other cetaceans; and

  (iii)   protect ecosystems by means that include the establishment and management of reserves, the recognition and protection of ecological communities and the promotion of off - reserve conservation measures; and

  (iv)   identify processes that threaten all levels of biodiversity and implement plans to address these processes; and

  (f)   includes provisions to enhance the protection, conservation and presentation of world heritage properties and the conservation and wise use of Ramsar wetlands of international importance; and

  (fa)   includes provisions to identify places for inclusion in the National Heritage List and Commonwealth Heritage List and to enhance the protection, conservation and presentation of those places; and

  (g)   promotes a partnership approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation through:

  (i)   bilateral agreements with States and Territories; and

  (ii)   conservation agreements with land - holders; and

  (iii)   recognising and promoting indigenous peoples' role in, and knowledge of, the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of biodiversity; and

  (iv)   the involvement of the community in management planning.


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