(1)  The Minister must accept an environment plan for a petroleum activity if there are reasonable grounds for believing that the plan –

(a) is appropriate for the nature and scale of the petroleum activity or proposed use; and

(b) demonstrates that the environmental impacts and risks in respect of the petroleum activity will be reduced to as low as reasonably practicable; and

(c) demonstrates that the environmental impacts and risks in respect of the petroleum activity will be of an acceptable level; and

(d) provides for appropriate environmental performance objectives, environmental performance standards and other measurement criteria; and

(e) includes an appropriate implementation strategy and monitoring, recording and reporting arrangements; and

(f) for the requirement mentioned in regulation 22(1)(b) , demonstrates that –

(i) the operator has carried out the consultations required under regulation 14 ; and

(ii) the measures, if any, that the operator has adopted, or proposes to adopt, because of the consultations are appropriate; and

(g) complies with the Act.

(2)  If the Minister is not reasonably satisfied that the environment plan when first submitted meets the criteria set out in subregulation (1) , the Minister must give the operator a reasonable period of time to modify and resubmit the plan.

(3)  If an environment plan is resubmitted to the Minister as referred to in subregulation (2) and the Minister is still not reasonably satisfied that the plan meets the criteria set out in subregulation (1) , the Minister must refuse to accept the plan.

(4)  Despite subregulation (3) , the Minister may do either or both of the following:

(a) accept the plan in part for a particular stage of the petroleum activity;

(b) accept the plan, or part of the plan, subject to certain limitations or conditions, imposed by the Minister, applying to operations for the petroleum activity.