Northern Territory Numbered Acts

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION ACT 2019 (NO 31 OF 2019)

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART 1--INTRODUCTION

           Division 1-- Preliminary matters

   1.      Short title  
   2.      Commencement  
   3.      Objects  
   4.      Definitions  

           Division 2--Important concepts

   5.      Meaning of action  
   6.      Meaning of environment  
   7.      Meaning of environmental harm  
   8.      Meaning of material environmental harm  
   9.      Meaning of s ignificant environmental harm  
   10.     Meaning of impact  
   11.     Meaning of significant impact  
   12.     Meaning of significant variation  
   13.     Meaning of strategic proposal  

           Division 3--Application provisions

   14.     Act binds Crown  
   15.     Civil remedies and common law not affected  
   16.     Application of Criminal Code  

   PART 2--PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT

           Division 1--Principles of ecologically sustainable development

   17.     Principles of ecologically sustainable development  
   18.     Decision-making principle  
   19.     Precautionary principle  
   20.     Principle of evidence-based decision-making  
   21.     Principle of intergenerational and intragenerational equity  
   22.     Principle of sustainable use  
   23.     Principle of conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity  
   24.     Principle of improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms  

           Division 2--Management hierarchies

   25.     Hierarchies  
   26.     Environmental decision-making hierarchy  
   27.     Waste management hierarchy  

   PART 3--ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION DECLARATIONS

           Division 1--Declaration of environmental objectives and referral triggers

   28.     Declaration of environmental objectives  
   29.     Purpose and effect of referral triggers  
   30.     Declaration of referral triggers  
   31.     NT EPA may recommend environmental objectives and referral triggers and amendments  
   32.     Review of environmental objectives and referral triggers  
   33.     Amendment or revocation of environmental objective or referral trigger  
   34.     Referral trigger – environmental offences  

           Division 2--Protected environmental areas and prohibited actions

   35.     Temporary declaration of protected environmental area  
   36.     Permanent declaration of protected environmental area  
   37.     Regulation of actions in declared areas  
   38.     Declaration of prohibited actions  
   39.     Revocation of declaration  
   40.     Protected environmental areas – environmental offences  
   41.     Prohibited actions – environmental offences  

   PART 4--ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT PROCESS

           Division 1--Purpose of environmental impact assessment process

   42.     Purpose of environmental impact assessment process  
   43.     General duty of proponents  
   44.     Certain referrals prohibited  

           Division 2--Cooperative agreements

   45.     Cooperative agreements – assessment process  
   46.     Proponent to have only one environmental impact assessment process  
   47.     Significant variation of action  

           Division 3--Referral and assessment

              Subdivision 1--Referrals

   48.     Referral of proposed action  
   49.     Referral of strategic proposal  
   50.     Referral if application made to statutory decision-maker  

              Subdivision 2--Significant variations

   51.     Proponent to notify NT EPA of significant variation of proposed action or strategic proposal  
   52.     Approval holder to refer proposed significant variation for assessment  

              Subdivision 3--Call-in notices

   53.     Call-in notice  
   54.     Offence to contravene call-in notice  

              Subdivision 4--Consideration by NT EPA

   55.     Process for considering referred actions and strategic proposals  
   56.     Process for considering notified significant variations  

              Subdivision 5--Environmental impact assessment by NT EPA

   57.     NT EPA to carry out environmental impact assessments of referred actions or strategic proposals  

              Subdivision 6--Statutory authorisations

   58.     Statutory authorisations and environmental impact assessments  
   59.     Statutory authorisation granted before referral of action  

   PART 5--ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS

           Division 1--Preliminary matters

   60.     Purpose of Part  
   61.     Purpose of environmental approval  
   62.     Fit and proper person to hold environmental approval  

           Division 2--NT EPA to provide assessment report and other documents to Minister

   63.     Application of Division  
   64.     Assessment report  
   65.     Draft environmental approval  
   66.     Statement of unacceptable impact  
   67.     Notice of assessment report and other documents  

           Division 3--Decision of Minister on environmental approval

   68.     Application of Division  
   69.     Decision of Minister in relation to draft environmental approval  
   70.     Consultation on proposal to grant an amended approval  
   71.     Consultation on proposal to refuse to grant environmental approval  
   72.     Show cause process  
   73.     Matters to be considered by Minister in deciding on environmental approval  
   74.     Time for decision on environmental approval  

           Division 4--Decision of Minister on statement of unacceptable impact

   75.     Application of Division  
   76.     Minister's decision in relation to statement  
   77.     Time for decision on statement of unacceptable impact  
   78.     Show cause process  
   79.     Refusal of approval if Minister accepts statement  
   80.     Environmental approval granted if Minister rejects statement  

           Division 5--Publication of environmental approval

   81.     Application of Division  
   82.     Publication of environmental approval  

           Division 6--Conditions of environmental approval

   83.     Application of Division  
   84.     Conditions of environmental approval  
   85.     Condition may apply after action completed  
   86.     Conditions imposing financial requirements  
   87.     Conditions requiring reporting of compliance with approval  
   88.     Conditions relating to management of health, social and cultural impacts  
   89.     Conditions of environmental approval – environmental offences  

           Division 7--Effect of environmental approval

   90.     Application of Division  
   91.     Effect of environmental approval  
   92.     Environmental approval to prevail over other statutory authorisations  
   93.     Environmental approval not personal property  
   94.     Expiry of environmental approval  
   95.     Environmental approval revoked if amended approval granted  

           Division 8--Approval notice for actions under environmental approval for strategic proposal

   96.     Application of Division  
   97.     Purpose of approval notice  
   98.     Application for approval notice  
   99.     Minister may request further information  
   100.    Consultation on application  
   101.    Decision of Minister in relation to approval notice  
   102.    Issue of approval notice  
   103.    Effect of approval notice  
   104.    Notice of refusal  
   105.    Publication of notice and reasons  

           Division 9--Amendment of environmental approval

   106.    Amendment of environmental approval  
   107.    Consultation on proposed amendment  
   108.    Publication of amended environmental approval  

           Division 10--Revocation or suspension of environmental approval

   109.    Revocation of environmental approval  
   110.    Suspension of approval  
   111.    Show cause process  
   112.    Notice to statutory decision-makers  
   113.    Obligations under approval to continue  
   114.    Revocation at request of approval holder  
   115.    Strategic assessment – revocation of approval  
   116.    Strategic assessment – revocation or suspension of approval  
   117.    Contravention of continuing obligations – environmental offences  

           Division 11--Transfer of environmental approval

   118.    Transfer of environmental approval  
   119.    Application for approval to transfer  
   120.    Minister may request information  
   121.    Minister may have regard to certain matters  
   122.    Consultation on transfer  
   123.    Decision on transfer  
   124.    Publication of approval of transfer and reasons  

   PART 6--ENVIRONMENTAL OFFSETS

   125.    Environmental offsets framework and guidelines  
   126.    Environmental offsets register  

   PART 7--FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

           Division 1--Environment protection bonds

   127.    Application of Division  
   128.    Purpose of environment protection bond  
   129.    Amount of bond  
   130.    Environment protection bond account  
   131.    Claim on bond  
   132.    Unused bond refundable  

           Division 2--Environment protection levy

   133.    Environment protection levy  
   134.    Liability for environment protection levy  
   135.    Amount of levy  

           Division 3--Environment protection funds

   136.    Minister may establish environment protection funds  
   137.    Payments into environment protection funds  
   138.    Expenditure from an environment protection fund  
   139.    Recovery of amounts paid out of fund  

   PART 8--ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITS, ENVIRONMENTAL AUDITORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTITIONERS

           Division 1--Preliminary matters

   140.    Relationship of this Part to other provisions  
   141.    Environmental audit  

           Division 2--Environmental audit requirements

   142.    Direction by CEO to carry out environmental audit  
   143.    CEO may appoint qualified person to carry out environmental audit  
   144.    Environmental audit and report  
   145.    Contravention of direction – environmental offence  
   146.    Offence relating to conflict of interest  
   147.    Authorisation of audit despite conflict  
   148.    Nature of conflict of interest  
   149.    Qualified person may direct information to be provided  
   150.    Declarations in relation to environmental audit reports  
   151.    Contravention of direction to provide relevant information – environmental offences  
   152.    Offence if false or misleading information in audit report or missing information  
   153.    Retention and production of audit documentation  
   154.    Contravention of direction – environmental offences  

           Division 3--Registration of environmental auditors

   155.    Offence to represent that registered as auditor  
   156.    Registration of environmental auditors  

           Division 4--Registration of environmental practitioners

   157.    Offence to represent that registered as environmental practitioner  
   158.    Registration of environmental practitioners  

   PART 9--ENFORCEMENT

           Division 1--Environmental officers

   159.    Appointment or authorisation of environmental officers  
   160.    Identity card  
   161.    Offence not to return identity card  
   162.    Powers of environmental officers: purposes  
   163.    General powers of environmental officers  
   164.    Entry of residential premises  
   165.    Entry on Aboriginal land  
   166.    Duties of environmental officer on land or premises  
   167.    Duty of environmental officer in relation to seized thing  
   168.    Forfeiture of seized thing  
   169.    Offence to contravene requirement  
   170.    Application for and issue of search warrant  
   171.    Effect and term of search warrant  
   172.    Directions by environmental officer  
   173.    Offence to contravene direction  
   174.    Offence to obstruct environmental officer  
   175.    Compliance with requirement to provide information  

           Division 2--Environment protection notices

   176.    Environment protection notice – purpose and issue  
   177.    Content of environment protection notice  
   178.    Requirements of environment protection notices  
   179.    Environment protection notice may permit certain acts or omissions  
   180.    Effect of environment protection notice on need for statutory authorisation  
   181.    Notice to prescribed statutory decision-maker of proposed notice  
   182.    Emergency environment protection notice issued by CEO  
   183.    Emergency environment protection notice issued by environmental officer  
   184.    Variation or revocation of environment protection notice  
   185.    Copy of environment protection notice may be lodged with Registrar-General  
   186.    Recorded notice applies to owners and occupiers of land  
   187.    Notice to owners and occupiers of land  
   188.    Notice by owner or occupier to CEO  
   189.    Offence to contravene notice requirement  
   190.    Cancellation of recording of environment protection notice  
   191.    Contravention of environment protection notice – environmental offences  
   192.    Obstruct compliance with notice – environmental offence  

           Division 3--Stop work notices

   193.    Purpose of stop work notice  
   194.    NT EPA may issue stop work notice  
   195.    Requirements of stop work notice  
   196.    Stop work notice where proponent contravenes call-in notice  
   197.    Stop work notice may be issued even if other statutory authorisation issued  
   198.    Contravention of stop work notice – environmental offences  

           Division 4--Closure notices

   199.    Closure notice  
   200.    Contents of closure notice  
   201.    Effect of closure notice  
   202.    Copy of closure notice may be lodged with Registrar-General  
   203.    Recorded notice applies to owners and occupiers of land  
   204.    Notice to owners and occupiers of land  
   205.    Notice by owner or occupier to CEO  
   206.    Offence to contravene notice requirement  
   207.    Cancellation of recording of closure notice  
   208.    Contravention of closure notice – environmental offence  
   209.    Obstruct compliance with closure notice – environmental offence  
   210.    Closure notice not complied with  

           Division 5--Closure certificates

   211.    Criteria for closure certificate  
   212.    Application for closure certificate  
   213.    Issue of closure certificate  
   214.    Effect of closure certificate  

           Division 6--Enforceable undertakings

   215.    CEO may accept enforceable undertaking  
   216.    Enforcement orders  
   217.    CEO may do specified acts or things  
   218.    Withdrawal or variation of enforceable undertaking by proponent or approval holder  
   219.    Withdrawal of acceptance by CEO of enforceable undertaking  
   220.    No criminal proceedings while enforceable undertaking is in force  
   221.    Proceedings following revocation of enforceable undertaking  
   222.    No further proceedings if enforceable undertaking complied with  

           Division 7--Emergency authorisations

   223.    Emergency authorisations  

           Division 8--Duty to notify incidents

   224.    Application of Division  
   225.    Duty to notify CEO of incidents  
   226.    Manner and form of notice  
   227.    Incidents not required to be reported  
   228.    Failure to notify incident – environmental offences  
   229.    Incriminating information  

   PART 10--CIVIL PROCEEDINGS

           Division 1--Injunctions and other orders

   230.    Who may bring proceeding  
   231.    Prohibitory injunctions  
   232.    Mandatory injunctions  
   233.    Interim injunctions  
   234.    Certain considerations for granting injunctions not relevant  
   235.    Discharge of injunctions  
   236.    Other orders  
   237.    Court may vary or revoke order  
   238.    Security and undertakings  
   239.    Orders as to costs  
   240.    Orders as to damages on application of respondent  
   241.    Time for commencing proceedings under this Division  
   242.    Powers conferred are in addition to other powers of court  

           Division 2--Civil penalty orders, other civil orders and directions

   243.    Purpose of Division  
   244.    CEO may give certain directions  
   245.    Application for civil orders  
   246.    CEO to have regard to certain matters  
   247.    Notice of proposed application to court  
   248.    Civil orders  
   249.    Court to have regard to certain matters  
   250.    Civil orders under section 248 (1)(b)  
   251.    CEO may take measures if order not complied with  
   252.    Jurisdiction is civil jurisdiction  
   253.    Contravention of 2 or more provisions  
   254.    Proceeding to be stayed if criminal proceedings commenced  
   255.    Evidence not admissible in criminal proceedings  
   256.    Orders as to costs  
   257.    Recovery of amounts ordered to be paid to Territory  
   258.    Time for bringing proceedings under this Division  
   259.    Civil proceedings not to affect environment protection notices  

   PART 11--OFFENCES, PENALTIES AND CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

           Division 1--Offences

   260.    Offence to provide false or misleading information  
   261.    Contravention of court order under section 216 or 236 – environmental offence  
   262.    Continuing offences  
   263.    Liability of occupier  
   264.    Liability of owner  
   265.    Criminal liability of executive officer of body corporate  
   266.    Liability of partners and unincorporated associations  
   267.    Liability for employees and agents  
   268.    Court may order reimbursement of investigation costs  
   269.    Alternative verdicts  

           Division 2--Specified environmental offences

   270.    Principles to be applied in imposing a penalty for specified environmental offences  
   271.    Additional court orders where specified environmental offence proved  
   272.    CEO may take measures if order not complied with  

           Division 3--Criminal proceedings

   273.    Who can commence proceedings  
   274.    Time for commencing prosecution  
   275.    Enforcement agency for Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Act 2001  

   PART 12--REVIEW OF DECISIONS

   276.    Standing for judicial review  
   277.    Review by NTCAT  

   PART 13--GENERAL MATTERS

           Division 1--Delegation

   278.    Delegation by Minister  
   279.    Delegation by CEO  

           Division 2--Service

   280.    Service  

           Division 3--Confidentiality of information

   281.    Confidential information  
   282.    Decision of Minister or NT EPA  
   283.    Effect of decision  

           Division 4--Public register

   284.    Public register  

           Division 5--Directions to provide information

   285.    Direction notice  
   286.    Methodologies  
   287.    Proponent or approval holder to provide information  
   288.    Proponent or approval holder may seek exemption  
   289.    Publication of information  

           Division 6--Report by CEO

   290.    CEO to report on enforcement and compliance  

           Division 7--Guidance and procedural documents

   291.    Guidance documents  
   292.    Approved forms  

           Division 8--Regulations

   293.    Regulations  

   PART 14--REPEALS AND TRANSITIONAL MATTERS

           Division 1--Acts repealed

   294.    Acts repealed  

           Division 2--Transitional matters

   295.    Definitions  
   296.    Saving of existing assessments commenced but not completed  
   297.    Termination of assessment under former Act  
   298.    Environmental audit  
   299.    Assessment report  
   300.    Assessment report completed under former Act before commencement  
   301.    Assessment report completed under former Act after commencement  
   302.    Process for environmental approval  
   303.    Transitional regulations  

   PART 15--CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

           Division 1--Geothermal Energy Act 2009

   304.    Act amended  
   305.    Section 68 amended (Approval of geothermal operations plan)  

           Division 2--Meat Industries Act 1996

   306.    Act amended  
   307.    Section 15 amended (Applications relating to establishment in area not subject to development provisions or interim development control order)  

           Division 3--Mining Management Act 2001

   308.    Act amended  
   309.    Section 36 amended (Approval of mining management plan and grant of Authorisation)  
   310.    Section 37 amended (Duration and conditions of Authorisation)  
   311.    Section 82 amended (Protection of environment)  
   312.    Part 13 inserted  

           Division 4--Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority Act 2012

   313.    Act amended  
   314.    Section 3 amended (Definitions)  
   315.    Section 25AA amended (Regard to principles of ecologically sustainable development)  

           Division 5--Petroleum Act 1984

   316.    Act amended  
   317.    Section 15A amended (Appropriate person to hold permit or licence)  

           Division 6--Planning Act 1999

   318.    Act amended  
   319.    Section 30C amended (Making concurrent application)  
   320.    Section 30P amended (Preliminary decision about development proposal)  
   321.    Section 30S amended (Matters to be taken into account for amendment decision)  
   322.    Section 42 amended (Matters to be taken into account when making decision)  
   323.    Section 46 amended (Development applications)  
   324.    Section 51 amended (Matters to be taken into account)  
   325.    Section 112 amended (Review if consent authority does not determine application)  
   326.    Part 12, Division 6 inserted  

           Division 7--Waste Management and Pollution Control Act 1998

   327.    Act amended  
   328.    Section 32 amended (Matters to be considered in granting approvals and licences)  
   329.    Part 16 inserted  

           Division 8--Environmental Offences and Penalties Regulations 2011

   330.    Regulations amended  
   331.    Schedule amended (Prescribed Acts)  

           Division 9--Fines and Penalties (Recovery) Regulations 2001

   332.    Regulations amended  
   333.    Schedule 1 amended  

           Division 10--Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Regulations 2004

   334.    Regulations amended  
   335.    Schedule 1 amended (Guidelines for classifying applications)  

           Division 11--Petroleum (Environment) Regulations 2016

   336.    Regulations amended  
   337.    Regulation 3 amended (Definitions)  
   338.    Regulation 9 amended (Approval criteria for plan)  
   339.    Regulation 12 amended (Approval notice and statement of reasons)  
   340.    Regulation 13 amended (Refusal notice and statement of reasons)  
   341.    Part 5 inserted  

           Division 12--Repeal of Part

   342.    Repeal of Part  
           SCHEDULE