We support our ministers to exercise powers under Australian law.
Our secretary and employees exercise any delegated legal powers. The secretary and some employees also have their own, non-delegated powers.
Find all laws we administer and matters relating to us in the Administrative Arrangements Order.
Our responsibilities
We are responsible for matters relating to:
- environment protection and conservation of biodiversity
- air quality
- land contamination
- waste programs
- management of industrial chemicals
- meteorology
- administration of the Australian Antarctic Territory, and the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands
- natural, built and cultural heritage
- environmental information and research
- ionospheric prediction
- co-ordination of sustainable communities policy
- urban environment
- water policy and resources
- environmental water use and resources relating to the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder
- national water infrastructure investment
- development and co-ordination of domestic, community and household climate action
- climate change adaptation strategy and co-ordination
- co-ordination of climate change science activities
- development and co-ordination of international climate change policy
- international climate change negotiations
- greenhouse emissions and energy consumption reporting
- greenhouse gas abatement programmes
- energy policy
- national energy market, including electricity, gas and liquid fuels
- national fuel quality standards
- renewable energy
- renewable energy target policy, regulation and co-ordination
- renewable energy technology development
- industrial energy efficiency
- energy efficiency
- energy-specific international obligations and activities
Laws and powers
We administer these laws on behalf of our ministers:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act 1984, except to the extent administered by the Attorney-General
- Antarctic Marine Living Resources Conservation Act 1981
- Antarctic Treaty Act 1960
- Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection) Act 1980
- Australian Antarctic Territory Acceptance Act 1933
- Australian Antarctic Territory Act 1954
- Australian Energy Market Act 2004
- Australian Heritage Council Act 2003
- Australian Institute of Marine Science Act 1972
- Australian National Registry of Emissions Units Act 2011
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency Act 2011
- Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Consequential Amendments and Transitional Provisions) Act 2011
- Building Energy Efficiency Disclosure Act 2010
- Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative) Act 2011
- Clean Energy (Consequential Amendments) Act 2011
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation Act 2012
- Clean Energy Regulator Act 2011
- Climate Change Authority Act 2011
- Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Part IIIAA
- Fuel Quality Standards Act 2000
- Fuel Security Act 2021
- Fuel Security (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2021
- Environment Protection (Alligator Rivers Region) Act 1978
- Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
- Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Environmental Management Charge-Excise) Act 1993
- Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (Environmental Management Charge-General) Act 1993
- Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Act 2012
- Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (Registration Fees) Act 2012
- Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989
- Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Levy Act 2017
- Heard Island and McDonald Islands Act 1953
- Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Act 2021
- Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Charge (Customs) Act 2021
- Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Charge (Excise) Act 2021
- Industrial Chemicals Environmental Management (Register) Charge (General) Act 2021
- Lake Eyre Basin Intergovernmental Agreement Act 2001
- Liquid Fuel Emergency Act 1984
- Meteorology Act 1955
- Moomba-Sydney Pipeline System Sale Act 1994, except to the extent administered by the Minister responsible for Finance
- National Environment Protection Council Act 1994
- National Environment Protection Measures (Implementation) Act 1998
- Natural Heritage Trust of Australia Act 1997
- Natural Resources Management (Financial Assistance) Act 1992, section 25(1)
- National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007
- Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021
- Offshore Electricity Infrastructure (Regulatory Levies) Act 2021
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) Act 1995
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Import Levy) (Transitional Provisions) Act 2014
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989
- Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas (Manufacture Levy) Act 1995
- Petroleum and Other Fuels Reporting Act 2017
- Product Emissions Standards Act 2017
- Product Emissions Standards (Customs) Charges Act 2017
- Product Emissions Standards (Excise) Charges Act 2017
- Product Stewardship (Oil) Act 2000
- Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020
- Recycling and Waste Reduction (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2020
- Recycling and Waste Reduction Charges (Customs) Act 2020
- Recycling and Waste Reduction Charges (Excise) Act 2020
- Recycling and Waste Reduction Charges (General) Act 2020
- Removal of Prisoners (Territories) Act 1923, insofar as it relates to the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands and the Australian Antarctic Territory
- Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000
- Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Large-scale Generation Shortfall Charge) Act 2000
- Renewable Energy (Electricity) (Small-scale Technology Shortfall Charge) Act 2010
- Sea Installations Act 1987
- Sewerage Agreements Acts
- Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Act 1997
- Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (Conversion into Public Company) Act 1989
- Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Limited Sale Act 199 3
- Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Act 2001
- Underwater Cultural Heritage Act 2018
- Underwater Cultural Heritage (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2018
- Water Act 2007
- Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Act 2005
- Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (Registration Fees) Act 2013
- Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area Conservation Act 1994