You must get our permission to conduct activities that have risk of harm to human health and the environment.
We make permission decisions under the Environment Protection Act 2017 and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.
This guidance helps you understand how to address the 11 principles of environment protection, which are listed in Part 2.3 of the Environment Protection Act. Addressing these principles is a requirement when applying for permissions, exemptions and authorisations.
How to address the principles
Your application must demonstrate:
- which principles are relevant to your activity, which are not, and why
- how you'll address the principles and what measures you will take, including your practices, techniques and technologies.
When addressing the first and sixth principles, note the tips below.
1. Principle of integration of environmental, social and economic considerations
This principle aims to help us to reach a balanced decision. It recognises that there may be compromises between competing concerns and values.
Depending on the nature of your proposed activity, your considerations may vary in scope. You may need to consider varying geographies or timeframes, including local, regional or global impacts and short, medium or long-term timeframes.
6. Principle of waste management hierarchy
This principle involves a hierarchy of preference for managing waste. We prefer that you address the cause rather than manage the impacts or consequences.
Updated