Environmental authority application
An Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) is an activity that is required to be approved by either Brisbane City Council or the Queensland Government due to its potential to damage or pollute the environment (air, land, water and noise). This approval is called an environmental authority.
When you need an environmental authority
A business that conducts, on a permanent or temporary basis, any of the following activities from a fixed or mobile location needs to apply to Council for an environmental authority:
- ERA 6 Asphalt Manufacturing - manufacturing more than 1000 tonnes of asphalt in a year
- ERA 12 Plastic Product Manufacturing –
- manufacturing, in a year, a total of 50t or more of plastic products, other than a plastic product mentioned in paragraph (b); or;
- manufacturing, in a year, a total of 5t or more of foam, composite plastics or rigid fibre-reinforced plastics.
- ERA 19 Metal Forming - hot forming a total of 10,000 tonnes or more of metal in a year
- ERA 38 Surface Coating - anodising, electroplating, enamelling or galvanising by using one to 100 tonnes of surface coating materials in a year
- ERA 49 Boat Maintenance or Repair - operating, on a commercial basis, a boat maintenance or repair facility for maintaining or repairing hulls, superstructure or mechanical components of boats or seaplanes.
If the activity is not listed above, you may still need to apply for an environmental authority from Queensland Government. A full list of ERAs, including those that require approval from the Queensland Government can be found in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.
When no environmental authority is needed
You do not need an environmental authority if the activity is not included in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019, however you still need to comply with other relevant requirements, including:
- making sure you have planning approval
- complying with the General Environmental Duty (Section 319) of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
Fees
New environmental authority
Payment of an application fee is required when you lodge a new Environmental authority application with Council.
The application fee is $705.00.
Once the environmental authority has been approved you will be required to pay the annual fee within 20 working days.
Transfer of environmental authority
Current environmental authorities can be transferred to a new owner.
The application fee is $143.45.
If an environmental authority is transferred, the annual fee is not required to be paid until the next anniversary date of the authority.
Amalgamated environmental authorities
The operator of two or more individual ERA types may apply for a single environmental authority for all activities.
The application fee is $359.75.
Environmental authorities are charged the highest annual fee of the individual ERA types.
Annual fees
| Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) type | Annual fee |
|---|---|
ERA 6 - Asphalt Manufacturing
| $2120.25 |
ERA 12 - Plastic Product Manufacturing
| $1855.50 $3578.25 |
ERA 19 - Metal Forming
| $711.80 |
ERA 38 - Surface Coating
| $711.80 |
ERA 49 - Boat Maintenance or Repair Facility
| $1126.45 |
These fees do not attract GST.
How to apply
1. Registration with the Queensland Government as a suitable operator
Before applying to Council for planning approval or an environmental authority, you need to be registered as a suitable operator with Queensland Government.
2. Planning approval
All ERAs that are administered by Council require a development permit. When this development application is submitted to Council, it is also assessed as an Environmental authority application, that is, you do not need to submit a separate Environmental authority application in this instance. Your development application and the environmental authority will be assessed simultaneously.
To apply for a development permit, you must use the Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) forms relevant for your development. For Environmentally relevant activities, you must use forms 1 and 8 (as a minimum). You can find out more about:
3. Prepare supporting documentation
All applications for a new environmental authority will need to include supporting documentation outlining the likely impacts of the activity on the environmental values*. Environmental values include the ecological health of the environment, as well as the likely impacts to public health, safety or amenity.
The supporting information must include:
- a description of the environmental values likely to be affected by each activity; and
- details of any emissions or releases likely to be generated by each activity; and
- details of the greenhouse gas emissions likely to be generated by each activity (including direct and indirect emissions); and
- a description of the risk and likely magnitude of impacts on the environmental values; and
- details of the management practices proposed to be implemented to prevent or minimise adverse impacts; and
- details of how the land the subject of the application will be rehabilitated after each activity ceases.
* Guidance on the likely impacts of each activity on the environmental values can be found on the DESI website.
4. Environmental authority application
If planning approval is already in place, complete the Environmental authority application for an environmentally relevant authority online form including:
- uploading any supporting documents
- paying the application fee using a Visa or Mastercard.
You can also use the Environmental authority application for an environmentally relevant authority online form if you need to:
- transfer an authority to another person (at the same site)
- amalgamate authorities (if several activities are on the one site, or if one corporate operator of several activities at different sites)
- amend an authority
- apply for the issuing of a Transitional Environmental Program.
Alternatively, you can complete the hard copy form.
Renewals
After approval, you will receive a renewal notice every 12 months.
Inspection request
If you are planning to purchase a business that is an existing ERA or need to demonstrate compliance for an insurance or bank application, you can request an inspection report outlining the current compliance status of the premises/activity.
Complete the Inspection report request online application and make payment with Visa or Mastercard.
Transitional Environmental Program
At times, Council may require environmental authority holders to apply for a transitional environmental program (TEP) for their business. A TEP is a specific program that sets out actions, requirements and conditions in relation to a particular activity, that would otherwise contravene the Act or a condition of their approval.
When complied with, an approved TEP achieves compliance with the Act, by doing 1 or more of the following:
- reducing environmental harm caused by the activity
- detailing the transition of the activity to comply with:
- a condition of an environmental authority (EA), whether it is standard or site specific;
- or a development condition.
Applications for a TEP, or amendments to an existing TEP, are completed using the Environmental authority application for an environmentally relevant authority online form.
The application fee is $869.10.
Surrender
To surrender an environmental authority, complete the Licence or permit surrender application online form.
More information
For further information phone Council's Business Hotline on 133 BNE (133 263), 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Alternatively, Council provides Industry environmental guides to help you find out more about concrete batching, surface coating and motor vehicle smash repair. Find out more.