Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

Queensland Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025

Queensland Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Contents Page Part 1 Preliminary 1 Short title . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 2 Commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Part 2 Amendment of Environmental Protection Act 1994 Division 1 Preliminary 3 Act amended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Division 2 Amendments commencing on assent 4 Amendment of s 39 (Other definitions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 5 Amendment of s 41A (Decision on draft terms of reference) . . . 19 6 Omission of ch 3, pt 1, div 2, sdiv 2 (Public notification of draft terms of reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 7 Amendment of s 46 (Finalising terms of reference) . . . . . . . . . . 20 8 Amendment of s 49 (Decision on whether EIS may proceed) . . . 20 9 Amendment of s 56 (Response to submissions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 10 Amendment of s 56A (Assessment of adequacy of response to submission and submitted EIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 11 Amendment of s 65 (Public access to draft terms of reference or submitted EIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 12 Amendment of s 67 (Process is suspended) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 13 Amendment of s 68 (Substantial compliance with notice requirements may be accepted) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 14 Amendment of s 112 (Other key definitions for ch 5) . . . . . . . . . 22 15 Amendment of s 125 (Requirements for applications generally) . 23 16 Amendment of s 126 (Requirements for site-specific applications—CSG activities) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 17 Amendment of s 126D (Requirements for proposed PRCP schedule)

Contents Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Page 2 Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 18 Insertion of new s 126E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 126E Public interest considerations for s 126D . . . . . . . . . 24 19 Omission of s 136A (Administering authority must obtain report about public interest evaluation for particular applications) . . . . . . . . . . 25 20 Amendment of s 139 (Information stage does not apply if EIS process complete) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 21 Amendment of s 150 (Notification stage does not apply to particular applications) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 22 Omission of ss 167A and 167B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 23 Amendment of s 176A (Criteria for decision—proposed PRCP schedule) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 24 Amendment of s 205 (Conditions that must be imposed if application relates to coordinated project) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 25 Amendment of s 226A (Requirements for amendment applications for environmental authorities) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 26 Amendment of s 226B (Requirements for amendment applications for PRCP schedules) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 27 Amendment of s 238 (Effect on assessment of amendment application— other changes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 28 Amendment of s 271 (Payment may be required for residual risks) 32 29 Insertion of new s 273A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 273A Extension of period for payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 30 Amendment of s 274 (Directions to carry out rehabilitation may be given if surrender refused) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 31 Amendment of s 276 (Restriction on surrender taking effect if payment required for residual risks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 32 Amendment of s 285 (PRCP schedule must be audited) . . . . . . 33 33 Omission of ch 5, pt 15, div 4A (Public interest evaluations) . . . 35 34 Insertion of new s 316S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 316S Direction to carry out rehabilitation if no PRCP schedule 35 35 Amendment of s 359 (Meaning of enforcement ground) . . . . . . . 35 36 Replacement of s 431A (PRCP schedule required for particular environmentally relevant activities) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 431A PRCP schedule required for particular environmental authorities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 37 Amendment of s 444I (Functions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 38 Replacement of ss 462 and 463 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 462 Power to secure seized thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Contents Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Page 3 Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel 463 Offence to contravene seizure requirement . . . . . . . 37 463A Offence to interfere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 463B Receipt and information notice for seized thing . . . . 38 463C Access to seized thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 463D Return of seized thing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Part 2A Forfeiture orders 463E Forfeiture order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 39 Amendment of s 467 (Authorised person may take or direct someone to take stated action) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 40 Amendment of s 497 (Limitation on time for starting summary proceedings) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 41 Amendment of s 520 (Dissatisfied person) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 42 Amendment of s 540 (Registers to be kept by administering authority) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 43 Amendment of s 540A (Registers to be kept by chief executive) 46 44 Amendment of s 755 (Administering authority must assess proposed PRC plan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 45 Omission of s 755A (Application of requirement for public interest evaluation for application stage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 46 Amendment of s 765A (Application of part if holder of environmental authority changes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 47 Amendment of s 802 (Particular holders may apply for PRC plan approval for pt 27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 48 Insertion of new ch 13, pt 35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Part 35 Transitional provisions for Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2025 Division 1 Preliminary 826 Definitions for part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Division 2 Transitional provisions for amendments commencing on assent Subdivision 1 Public interest evaluations 827 Definition for subdivision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 828 Ending of relevant matters in relation to existing public interest evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 829 Modified application of new s 56—giving proponent a copy of submissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 830 Modified application of new s 56—period for proponent’s response to submissions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 831 Modified application of new s 56A—period for chief

Contents Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Page 4 Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel executive’s consideration of EIS etc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 832 Starting of decision stage for particular site-specific applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 833 Restarting of assessment process suspended under former s 167B(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 834 Restarting of assessment process suspended under former s 167B(6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 835 No debt payable by third party entity under former s 316PD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 836 Continuation of confidentiality of public interest evaluation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Subdivision 2 Other matters 837 Draft terms of reference submitted before commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 838 Information stage does not apply to application made before commencement if IAR evaluated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 839 Notification stage does not apply to application made before commencement if draft IAR publicly notified . . . . . . . 57 840 Continuation of former s 238 for particular changes to amendment applications made before commencement 57 841 Application of new ch 5, pt 10, div 6 for residual risks requirement given after commencement . . . . . . . . . . 58 842 Application of new s 273A to existing residual risks requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 843 Application of new s 276 in relation to existing residual risks requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 844 Continuation of audits of PRCP schedules started before commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 845 Continuation of former ss 462 and 463 in relation to things seized before commencement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 846 Limitation period for particular summary proceedings 60 847 Register of particular TOR documents to be kept by chief executive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 848 Transfers of environmental authorities to which pt 27 applies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 849 Application of new s 802 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Division 4 Transitional regulation 861 Transitional regulation-making power . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 49 Amendment of sch 2 (Original decisions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 50 Amendment of sch 4 (Dictionary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Contents Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Page 5 Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel Division 3 Amendments commencing by proclamation 51 Amendment of s 4 (How object of Act is to be achieved) . . . . . . 66 52 Amendment of s 6A (Principles of environmental protection) . . . 66 53 Insertion of new s 9A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 9A Significant environmental values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 54 Replacement of ch 1, pt 3, div 2, sdiv 4 (Environmentally relevant activities) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Subdivision 4 Environmentally relevant activities 18 Meaning of environmentally relevant activity . . . . . . . 68 19 Activity may be prescribed as environmentally relevant activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 19A Transitional arrangements for former or new environmentally relevant activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 20 Declaration of environmentally relevant activity as a code- managed ERA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 20A General ERAs carried out in connection with resource ERAs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 55 Omission of ch 1, pt 3, div 2, sdiv 6 (Prescribed conditions) . . . . 71 56 Amendment of s 28 (Contents of policies) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 57 Amendment of s 79 (What is an agricultural ERA) . . . . . . . . . . . 72 58 Amendment of s 81 (What is an agricultural ERA standard) . . . . 72 59 Omission of ss 106–111 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 60 Amendment of s 112 (Other key definitions for ch 5) . . . . . . . . . 73 61 Amendment of s 115 (Development application taken to be application for environmental authority in particular circumstances) . . . . . . . 73 62 Amendment of s 118 (Single application required for ERA projects) 75 63 Amendment of s 119 (Single environmental authority required for ERA projects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 64 Amendment of s 130 (Nomination of principal applicant) . . . . . . 77 65 Amendment of s 316C (Application of division) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 66 Amendment of s 318YE (Conditions of recognition) . . . . . . . . . . 77 67 Amendment of s 318YI (Approval continues pending decision about renewal) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 68 Amendment of s 318YM (Inquiry about application) . . . . . . . . . . 79 69 Replacement of s 318YN (Decision on application) . . . . . . . . . . 79 318YN Decision on application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 70 Amendment of s 318YO (Failure to decide application) . . . . . . . 80 71 Amendment of s 318YR (Show cause notice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Contents Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 Page 6 Authorised by the Parliamentary Counsel 72 Amendment of s 318YV (Immediate suspension of recognition of accreditation program) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 73 Insertion of new ch 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Chapter 6 Carrying out code-managed ERA under relevant ERA code Part 1 Registration for particular code-managed ERAs 318ZK Application of part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 318ZL Requirement to be registered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 318ZM Request for registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 318ZN Joint request for registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 318ZO Notice of ceasing to carry out code-managed ERA . 83 318ZP Term of registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Part 2 Transitioning to relevant ERA code Division 1 Preliminary 318ZQ Purpose of part . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Division 2 Code-managed ERAs for which registration required 318ZR Application of division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 318ZS Withdrawal of application for environmental authority if applicant requests registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 318ZT Surrender of environmental authority if holder requests registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 318ZU Surrender of environmental authority on holder’s deemed registration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Division 3 Other code-managed ERAs 318ZV Application of division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 318ZW Withdrawal of application for environmental authority if applicant gives notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 318ZX Surrender of environmental authority if holder gives notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 318ZY Surrender of environmental authority on holder’s deemed decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Division 4 Other provision 318ZZ Amount refundable on surrender . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 74 Amendment of s 319 (General environmental duty) . . . . . . . . . . 94 75 Amendment of s 320A (Application of div 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 76 Amendment of s 330 (What is a transitional environmental program) 94 77 Amendment of s 331 (Requirements for applications generally) . 94 78 Amendment of s 332 (Administering authority may require particular