How to report
This page provides information about the following topics:
How are emissions determined?
Do I have to report on all of my company's emissions?
Is my facility legally required to report?
How will I report to EPA?
Who should I contact for further information?
How are emissions determined?
Reporting facilities are required to provide emissions estimations to their state authorities (facilities in Victoria should send all reporting information to EPA). There are a number of ways of calculating this information, which are described in more detail in the NPI guide.
There are also Emissions Estimation Technique (EET) Manuals available for download from the NPI website. The manuals have been produced to assist industry personnel in calculating their emissions. You are not required to report on your emissions until an industry manual has been developed for your activities.
Do I have to report on all of my company's emissions?
Facilities are only required to report on emissions of listed substances. If your facility exceeds threshold usage levels, it will be required to report annually on these emissions. More details on the listed substances and their threshold usage levels can be found in the NPI guide. Companies that have more than one operating facility are required to report separately for each facility that triggers threshold levels for listed substances.
Irrespective of whether a company has an EPA licence, they are required to report if they exceed threshold limits of use of listed substances. Emissions from smaller industries (that fall below threshold levels of use), households and from everyday activities are estimated by EPA. The result is a comprehensive database where emissions from industry are placed in context of aggregated emissions to the environment.
Is my facility legally required to report?
The NPI was developed as a National Environment Protection Measure (NEPM) by the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) and is a statutory instrument under the National Environment Protection Council Act (Australia) 1994. It was incorporated into Victorian law as the Industrial Waste Management Policy (National Pollutant Inventory) 1998 and applies to all industries regardless of whether facilities are licensed by EPA or not.
How will I report to EPA?
There are two methods available for reporting:
- National Reporting Tool (NRT) – Send your reporting information in a single electronic transaction; to use the NRT you will need to contact EPA and register your details
- paper reporting form – Reporting forms can be downloaded from the NPI website (Adobe PDF file, 95KB).
Facilities in Victoria should send all reporting information to EPA. The data is validated and collated, and summarised information is sent onto the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage, where it is incorporated into the national database.
Who should I contact for further information?
If you have technical or general questions relating to a manual, your industry association or the NPI Team is a good initial source of information. Either of these groups can direct you to technical experts.
Further general information about NPI can be found by accessing the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage's NPI website.
