New South Wales Consolidated Acts

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ADMINISTRATION ACT 1991 - SECT 3

3 Definitions

(1) In this Act--

"advisory committee" means an advisory committee established under Part 6.

"Authority" means the Environment Protection Authority constituted by this Act.

"Board" means the Board of the Authority established under this Act.

"Chairperson" means the Chairperson of the Board appointed under section 18.

"Chief Executive Officer" or
"CEO" means the person employed in the Public Service as the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.

"criminal or related proceedings" means any proceedings for an offence against the environment protection legislation or any proceedings under Division 4 of Part 8.2 and Part 8.4 of, or under Schedule 2A to, the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 .

"environment" means components of the earth, including--

(a) land, air and water, and

(b) any layer of the atmosphere, and

(c) any organic or inorganic matter and any living organism, and

(d) human-made or modified structures and areas,

and includes interacting natural ecosystems that include components referred to in paragraphs (a)-(c).

"environment protection" includes anything which furthers the objectives of the Authority as set out in section 6.

"environment protection legislation" means the following Acts, and the regulations and other instruments made under the following Acts--

(a) this Act,

(b) Contaminated Land Management Act 1997 ,

(c) Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Act 2008 ,

(d) Environmental Trust Act 1998 ,

(e) Environmentally Hazardous Chemicals Act 1985 ,

(f) Ozone Protection Act 1989 ,

(g) Pesticides Act 1999 ,

(ga) Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021 ,

(h) Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 ,

(i) Protection from Harmful Radiation Act 1990 ,

(j) Recreation Vehicles Act 1983 ,

(k) Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001 ,

(l) any other Act, or part of an Act, prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this definition.

Note--: A regulation prescribing an Act, or part of an Act, for the purposes of paragraph (l) may only be made with the concurrence of the Minister responsible for the administration of the Act or part--see section 3(1A).

"public authority" means a public or local authority constituted by or under any Act and includes--

(a) a government department or administrative office, and

(b) a member of staff or other person who exercises functions on behalf of a public authority.

Note : The Interpretation Act 1987 contains definitions and other provisions that affect the interpretation and application of this Act.

(1A) A regulation prescribing an Act, or part of an Act, for the purposes of subsection 3(1), definition of
"environment protection legislation" , paragraph (l) may only be made with the concurrence of the Minister responsible for administering the Act, or part, to be prescribed.

(2) In this Act--

(a) a reference to a function includes a reference to a power, authority, responsibility and duty, and

(b) a reference to the exercise of a function includes, where the function is a duty, a reference to the performance of the duty.

(3) Notes included in this Act do not form part of this Act.