The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the Australian environment, including its biodiversity and its natural and culturally significant places. Enacted on 17 July 2000, it established a range of processes to help protect and promote the recovery of threatened species and ecological communities, and preserve significant places from decline.
The EPBC Act established the use of Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations, which have provided for the issuing of approvals and permits for a range of activities on Commonwealth land and land affecting the Commonwealth. For example, commercial picking of wildflowers is regulated under the EPBC Act, and cannot be undertaken without an appropriate permit. Failure to comply with the Act can result in penalties including remediation of damage, court injunctions, and criminal and civil penalties.
The Act is administered by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.
The Act identifies seven matters of national environmental significance:
- World Heritage properties
- National heritage places including overseas places of historic significance
- Wetlands of international importance (Ramsar wetlands)
- Threatened species and ecological communities
- Migratory species
- Commonwealth marine areas
- Nuclear actions (including uranium mining & building of nuclear waste repositories )
Lists of threatened species are drawn up under the act, for instance Threatened fauna of Australia, and these lists are the primary reference to threatened species in Australia.
Read more about Environment Protection And Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Treaties, 2007 Review, The Hawke Report, Related Acts
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