A02a – Other waste treatment (incineration)

Learn about the A02a - Other waste treatment (incineration) licences, the conditions you must comply with and how to apply.

When you need a licence for this activity

You must get a permission from us to conduct certain activities that have risk of harm to human health and the environment. These are called prescribed activities and are defined in Schedule 1 of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.

Under the Regulations, you need an A02a – Other waste treatment (incineration) development licence and operating licence for immobilising, thermally degrading or incinerating waste.

Exemptions

Under some circumstances, you can apply for a development licence exemption or an operating licence exemption.

Information to include in your application

When you submit your application in the portal, it must include certain information and supporting evidence. To learn more, visit Apply for a development licence or Apply for an operating licence.

If you're unsure of the type of permission you need, use our free permission pathway process before you start your application.

Application fee

For a list of current fees and how they're calculated, visit Fees. An extra fee may apply if we need more time than specified in the Regulations to assess your application.

If an application fee applies, we cannot assess your application until we've received and processed this fee.

How long your licence is valid for

If we issued your operating licence before 1 July 2021, there's no expiry date. If we issued it after 1 July 2021, then your licence is valid for:

  • up to 99 years for a waste management activity at a current or former landfill site
  • up to 20 years in any other case.

The duration of a development licence depends on the activity. This is stated in a condition when we issue the licence. To extend the duration, you must apply for an amendment.

How we assess your application

Find out how we assess your application and how long it takes.

Operating licence conditions

Permission conditions outline the legal obligations for the permission holder. They set up a framework for risk management, record keeping and reporting.

Where a condition includes:

  • the word 'placeholder', values will be populated with information that's specific to your site
  • a reference to a 'figure' or 'appendix', information will be populated that's specific to your site.

'Authority' means Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

Other conditions may apply.

Condition codeDescription
OL_G01A copy of this licence must be kept at the activity site and be easily accessible to persons who are engaging in an activity conducted at the activity site. Information regarding the requirements of the licence and the Act duties must be included in site induction and training information.
OL_G02

You must immediately notify the Authority by calling 1300 EPA VIC (1300 372 842) in the event of:

a) A discharge, emission or deposit which gives rise to, or may give rise to, actual or potential harm to human health or the environment;

b) A malfunction, breakdown or failure of risk control measures at the activity site which could reasonably be expected to give rise to actual or potential harm to human health or the environment; or

c) Any breach of the licence.

OL_G03

You must notify the Authority within 48 hours of the occurrence of any the following:

(a) Any change to your name or address (including your registered address and activity site as applicable);

(b) You become, or are likely to become, an insolvent under administration;

(c) You become, or are likely to become, an externally administered company under the Corporations Act; or

(d) A change to an officer (as defined in the Act).

You must update your information in the EPA Interaction Portal if any other relevant administrative details for your business change.

OL_G04aYou must provide to the Authority with a Permission Information and Performance Statement (PIPS) in the form determined by the Authority within 2 months of receiving notification in writing from the Authority. The PIPS may be released to the public (in whole or in part).
OL_G04b

Information and monitoring records used for the preparation of, inclusion in, or support of, any reporting or notification that is required of you by the Authority (including data reporting, performance reporting, documents evidencing any risk and monitoring program) must be:

a) retained for five years; and

b) made available to the Authority on request.

OL_G05

1. You must develop a risk management and monitoring program for your activities which:

(a) identifies all the risks of harm to human health and the environment which may arise from the activities you are engaging in at your activity site;

(b) clearly defines your environmental performance objectives;

(c) clearly defines your risk control performance objectives;

(d) describes how the environmental and risk control performance objectives are being achieved;

(e) identifies and describes how you will continue to eliminate or minimise the risks in 1(a) (above) so far as reasonably practicable (SFARP); and

(f) describes how the information collated in compliance with this clause, is or will be disseminated, used or otherwise considered by you or any other entity.

2. The risk management and monitoring program must be:

(a) documented in writing;

(b) signed by a duly authorised officer of the licensed entity; and

(c) made available to the Authority on request.

OL_G07

You must:

(a) develop and maintain a decommissioning plan that is in accordance with the current decommissioning guidelines published by the Authority;

(b) provide the decommissioning plan to the Authority upon request;

(c) supply to the Authority an updated detailed decommissioning plan 40 business days prior to commencement of decommissioning, if you propose to divest a section of the licensed site, cease part or all of the licensed activity or reduce the basis upon which the licence was granted to a point where licensing is no longer required; and

(d) decommission the licensed site in accordance with the detailed decommissioning plan, to the satisfaction of the Authority and within any reasonable timeframe which may be specified by the Authority.

OL_DA01Discharge of waste to air must be in accordance with Appendix 5.
OL_DA02Visible emissions to air other than steam must not be discharged from the activity site, except as permitted by this licence.
OL_WA02Wastes accepted at the activity site may only be treated or disposed of in accordance with Appendix 4.
OL_WM01You can store up to [placeholder1] at the activity site at any time.
OL_WM13

Notwithstanding the discharge limits set out in this licence, the licence holder’s risk management and monitoring program must address:

(a) Causes of short-term variation in emissions (which may include equipment or process failures and replacement of components);

(b) Opportunities to reduce long term and event-driven emissions through practices or controls; and

(c) Key indicators of emission variation including process and system indicators.

OL_WM14All plant and equipment must be maintained and operated in proper working condition, in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.

Conditions for development licences are specific for each licence.

Apply now

Apply for an A02a – Other waste treatment (incineration) development or operating licence in our portal.

Apply now

Manage your licence

To amend, transfer or surrender your licence, visit Manage your permission.

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