All development licence applications go through a comprehensive assessment. However, not all applications pose the same level of risk or complexity.
We use a risk-based approach informed by science, intelligence, and evidence. This helps us focus our efforts where they will have the greatest impact.
We are committed to making decisions that are transparent and accountable. To do this, we use the permission application profile assessment as a framework for managing applications in a consistent and proportionate way.
Factors that influence an application profile rating
Two main factors influence an application’s profile rating: technical complexity and stakeholder interest.
Technical complexity factors include:
- site location and proximity to sensitive environments or public health concerns
- existing levels of background or cumulative pollution
- novelty of process or environmental control
- volume and characteristics of emissions or discharges
- volume and characteristics of waste managed or generated
- reuse of waste.
Stakeholder interest factors include:
- site location and proximity to sensitive environments or public health concerns
- the applicant’s or industry’s compliance track record or record of complaints
- level of community interest and pre-application engagement
- other regulatory approvals required, such as environmental effect statements, planning scheme amendments, or waste to energy cap licences.
Profile rating and assessment timeframes
An application with a higher profile rating is more likely to involve:
- more community engagement activities
- more submissions or referral agency comments
- extra requests for information.
These factors can affect the timeliness of our decision. Higher-profile applications should expect that we will need the full 4-month statutory assessment period. This does not include the time you need to respond to any requests for information.
In some circumstances, we may request additional time to complete our assessment.
How you can support timely decisions
You can help us make faster, more robust decisions by:
- seeking our pathways advice before you start preparing your application
- conducting thorough community and stakeholder engagement before applying
- addressing community concerns by showing how feedback influenced your proposal design
- managing technical complexity by engaging qualified professionals and subject matter experts
- submitting high-quality documents that are clear, concise, well-organised, and supported by strong evidence
- describing your process in detail and providing schematics that identify hazards and critical control points
- clearly explaining your risk assessment, including hazard identification, risk evaluation, control measures, and monitoring
- considering and assessing risks of cumulative impacts from your existing and proposed activities, as well as from surrounding and neighbouring activities, and clearly demonstrating how these risks will be managed
- proposing best available techniques or technologies or clearly justifying why they are not feasible
- meeting recommended separation distances as set out in our Separation distance guideline and Landfill buffer guideline.
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