Environmentally Relevant Activities

Environmentally Relevant Activities (ERAs) are activities that will or have the potential to release contaminants into the environment that may cause environmental harm. It is a requirement of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) and the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 (EP Regs) that anyone who conducts an ERA must possess an environmental authority.

Local Government devolved ERAs

The following ERAs are devolved to Local Government as listed in Section 133 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019:

  • ERA No. 6 Asphalt Manufacturing (more than 1000t a year)
  • ERA No. 12 Plastic Product Manufacturing (50t or more of plastic products a year; or 5t or more of foam, composite plastics or rigid fibre-reinforced plastics a year)
  • ERA No. 19 Metal Forming (greater than 1000 tonnes per year but excluding cold processing)
  • ERA No. 38 Surface Coating (for anodising, electroplating, enamelling or galvanising using 1 - 100 tonnes of materials per year)
  • ERA No. 49 Boat Maintenance and Repair (within 50 metres of a bed of naturally occurring surface waters)

The above activities are not devolved to local government if any of the following apply:

  • The activity includes a non-devolved ERA at the same place
  • The activity is carried out by local or state government
  • The activity is mobile and temporary ERA that is carried out in more than one local government area.

What activities are the Department of Environment and Science responsible for?

ERAs not devolved to local government, listed in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 must be notified to the Department of Environment and Science (DES) within the state government. To find out what type of Licence or Permit you need and how to apply, visit the Department of Environment and Science.

Notifiable Activities

In Schedule 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994, certain activities are defined as notifiable activities. If the owner or occupier of land becomes aware a notifiable activity is being carried out on the land, the owner or occupier must give notice to the Department of Environment and Science (DES) in the approved form below.

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