If you don’t have an exemption, you can still carry out your activity if you have approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
You should seek greater certainty about the scope of the exemptions.
You must consider if clearing activities could impact Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES) significantly under our national environment laws. If a significant impact is likely, you must have approval before you can proceed.
A significant impact is an effect on the environment that is important or notable because of its scale or context. Whether an activity is likely to cause a significant impact depends on several factors:
- how sensitive, valuable, or high quality the environment is
- the intensity, duration, and magnitude of the activity
- the geographic extent of the impact.
You need to consider the nature of the environment and the scale of the activity. Clearing vegetation that provides habitat for threatened species is more significant than vegetation that doesn’t.
Understand your responsibilities. Learn more about the EPBC Act process.
This is the requirement under Australian Government legislation. If you have approval or otherwise under state or territory legislation, you still need to meet these requirements.
Your rights to manage access to your property don’t change.
Using state government mapping in the self-assessment
You can use state government mapping as part of a self-assessment. Be careful and ensure that you identify MNES protected under the EPBC Act.
The Queensland Government’s ‘drainage feature’ mapping in the GBR catchment can help identify relevant drainage lines. Also consider other areas on your property that may constitute:
- drainage lines
- watercourses
- wetlands.
Mapping is a helpful tool, but can’t replace a thorough, site-specific assessment. Government mapping alone can’t determine the significance of any impacts on matters protected under national environment law. Undertake and document a self-assessment. Contact us if you have questions.
Self-assessment using the Significant Impact Guidelines
If you need to learn if your activity could trigger the EPBC Act, follow these steps:
- Use self-assessment tools – We have online tools to help you determine if your activity is likely to have a significant impact on MNES. Draw the impact area on the interactive map. Use the report function to generate a report to show potential protected matters. You don’t need to switch on layers in the side menu to get a valid report.
- Check guidance materials – Read Self -assessment before making a referral under the EPBC Act. Don’t rely on mapping alone when conducting a self-assessment.
- Seek advice if unsure – If you are still uncertain, discuss your assessment with us through the contact centre.
- Book a free pre-referral meeting.