The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (EPBC Act) is the Commonwealth Government’s central piece of environmental legislation. It provides a legal framework to protect and manage nationally and internationally important flora, fauna, ecological communities and heritage places – defined in the EPBC Act as matters of national environmental significance.
There nine matters of national environmental significance provided for under the EPBC Act.
They are:
- world heritage properties
- national heritage places
- wetlands of international importance (often called 'Ramsar' wetlands after the international treaty under which such wetlands are listed)
- nationally threatened species and ecological communities
- migratory species
- Commonwealth marine areas
- the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
- nuclear actions (including uranium mining)
- a water resource, in relation to coal seam gas development and large coal mining development.
A proponent will need to seek approval to undertake an action that has the potential to significantly impact a matter of national environmental significance.
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Page last updated: 23/12/2022