Making bilateral agreement

(1)

On behalf of the Commonwealth, the Minister may enter into a bilateral agreement.

Note 1: A bilateral agreement can detail the level of Commonwealth accreditation of State practices, procedures, processes, systems, management plans and other approaches to environmental protection.

Note 2: Subdivision B sets out some prerequisites for entering into bilateral agreements.

What is a bilateral agreement?

(2)

A bilateral agreement is a written agreement between the Commonwealth and a State or a self-governing Territory that:

(a)

provides for one or more of the following:

(i)

protecting the environment;

(ii)

promoting the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources;

(iii)

ensuring an efficient, timely and effective process for environmental assessment and approval of actions;

(iv)

minimising duplication in the environmental assessment and approval process through Commonwealth accreditation of the processes of the State or Territory (or vice versa); and

(b)

is expressed to be a bilateral agreement.

Publishing notice of intention to enter into agreement

(3)

As soon as practicable after starting the process of developing a draft bilateral agreement with a State or self-governing Territory, the Minister must publish, in accordance with the regulations (if any), notice of his or her intention to develop a draft bilateral agreement with the State or Territory.

Publishing bilateral agreements and related material

(4)

As soon as practicable after entering into a bilateral agreement, the Minister must publish in accordance with the regulations:

(a)

the agreement; and

(b)

a statement of the Minister's reasons for entering into the agreement; and

(c)

a report on the comments (if any) received on the draft of the agreement published under Subdivision B.