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.
Waste tyres are combustible waste. They can harm human health and the environment if stored incorrectly. When waste tyres catch fire, they are hard to extinguish. For information about the risks of storing waste tyres, visit Waste tyres.
Under the Regulations, you need an A09a – Waste tyre storage (large) development licence and operating licence to store more than 40 tonnes or 5,000 equivalent passenger units (EPU) of waste tyres (waste code T140) on a site at any time and for any purpose.
You do not need a permission to store waste tyres if you store less than 5 m3 of waste tyres at your premises at any time. 5 m3 is about the capacity of a small skip bin.
Converting 5,000 EPU and 5 m3 into a number of waste tyres
The measure of 5,000 EPU is the same as 5,000 tyres of the size typically used for passenger cars.
Schedule 2 of the Environment Protection Regulations 2021 provides a conversion table for different tyres that are larger or smaller than this.
The measure of 5,000 EPU is the same as 5,000 tyres of the size typically used for passenger cars. EPU is a standardised metric for measuring different sizes of tyres.
We use EPUs for triggers and thresholds for permissions. Schedule 2 of the Regulations provides a conversion table for different size tyres.
For smaller amounts of waste, including waste tyres, the Regulations use a volumetric measure. 5 m3 is about the capacity of a small skip bin.
Exemptions
Under some circumstances, you can apply for a development licence exemption or an operating licence exemption.
Related activities
To store less than 40 tonnes or 5,000 EPU of waste tyres, you need an A09b – Waste tyre storage (small) registration.
To use or store 5 m3 or more of waste tyres to use as weights for silage production, you need a B04 – Waste tyres in silage production registration.
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 code | Description |
| 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_G04a | You 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_WM01.05 | You can only store up to [placeholder1 of waste tyres at the activity site at any time. |
| OL_WM01.06 | The maximum size of a pile of tyres stored outdoors must not exceed 20 m long, by 6 m wide, by 3 m high. |
| OL_WM01.09 | Individual outdoor tyre storage piles must be separated by a minimum distance of 20 m. |
| OL_WM04 | You must ensure that waste does not burn at the activity site. |
| OL_WM04.01 | You must maintain onsite fire fighting equipment and access to water supplies that are capable of controlling and extinguishing a [placeholder1] fire at the activity site. |
| OL_WM04.02 | You must maintain clear access for emergency and fire services vehicles, and fire protection equipment (including fire hydrants and fire hoses) or related signage. |
| OL_WM04.05 | Tyres at the activity site must only be stored outside. |
| OL_WM09 | You must maintain an effective method of security which prevents unauthorised access. |
| OL_WM11 | For all wastes of a type listed in Appendix 4, you must keep records of: (a) incoming and outgoing movements of waste; (b) the current location of waste at your activity site; and (c) the waste type of any waste located at your activity site. These records must be retained for five years and be made available to the Authority on request. |
| OL_WM12 | You must prepare an emergency management plan which: (a) Includes details of the following matters: (i) Actions to be taken during and immediately after a pollution incident; (ii) Safety equipment stored on the activity site to control a pollution incident (and details of routine inspections and regular maintenance of such equipment); (iii) Contact information for the individuals on site responsible for managing the response to a pollution incident; (iv) The procedure for notifying surrounding sites and relevant agencies of the pollution incident; (v) A map of the activity site and surrounding areas (including sensitive receptors) that could be potentially impacted during a pollution incident; (vi) Emergency response training which has been provided to all persons involved in the activities conducted at the activity site; and (vii) Identification of all persons involved in activities at the activity site who have completed emergency response and other relevant training applicable to responding to a pollution incident; (b) is reviewed and, if necessary, revised and updated whenever the hazards, risks or contact details of relevant persons change at the activity site; (c) must be made available to the Authority on request; and (d) must be reviewed by a suitably qualified person. |
| OL_WM14 | All 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.
Manage your licence
To amend, transfer or surrender your licence, visit Manage your permission.
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