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

Introduced: 20/11/2025By: Hon A Powell MPStatus: PASSED

Environment Business & Economy Justice & Rights

This summary was generated by AI and has not yet been reviewed by a human.

Plain English Summary

This is an omnibus bill covering multiple policy areas.

Overview

This bill rewrites parts of Queensland's environmental laws with the stated aim of cutting red tape and modernising how activities affecting the environment are regulated. Its centrepiece is a new 'code' system that lets lower-risk activities operate by following standard rules instead of holding an individual licence, alongside changes to mine rehabilitation, prosecution powers, groundwater rules and tourism permits. It amends more than a dozen Acts, so it bundles several distinct reforms together.

Who it affects

Mining, gas and resources operators, nature-based tourism businesses, and bore owners living near resource projects are most directly affected. The wider public is affected by stronger environmental enforcement powers but also the removal of some public-comment steps.

Code-managed environmental activities

The bill creates 'ERA codes' so certain lower-risk environmentally relevant activities can be carried out by following a standard code rather than applying for an individual environmental authority. It also resets how activities are classified, requiring them to be prescribed by regulation based on environmental risk, and introduces the concept of 'significant environmental values'.

Lower-risk activities can operate under a standard code instead of holding an individual environmental authority
Operators can opt out and keep their existing authority by notifying the regulator within 12 months of a new code starting
Wilfully breaching an ERA code carries a maximum penalty of 1,665 penalty units (600 for a non-wilful breach)
A new list of 'significant environmental values' will guide what the government prioritises protecting

Small scale mining and surety refunds

Small scale mining activities move onto the new code system over a 12-month transition. The requirement for these operators to lodge a financial surety is removed, and existing sureties held under the Financial Provisioning Scheme will be refunded.

Small scale mining transitions to code management instead of 'prescribed conditions'
Financial surety is no longer required for these activities
Over 3,000 existing financial sureties are expected to be refunded
Existing conditions are intended to carry over so operators can continue business as usual

Mine rehabilitation and assessment streamlining

The bill refines progressive rehabilitation and closure plan (PRCP) rules, makes the previously mandatory three-yearly audits discretionary, and removes duplicated steps in environmental impact statement and public interest evaluation processes, including recognising assessments done under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act.

Mandatory three-yearly PRCP audits become discretionary, targeted at higher-risk sites
The separate public interest evaluation process is removed (its considerations move into the PRCP application)
The duplicate requirement to publicly notify draft terms of reference for environmental impact statements is removed
Coordinator-General impact assessment reports can satisfy later environmental authority requirements to avoid duplication

Compliance and enforcement powers

Regulators get more time to investigate and prosecute, plus stronger powers over evidence and property connected to offences, under both the Environmental Protection Act and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act.

Time limit to start summary prosecutions extended from one to two years (three years for serious, complex offences)
Courts can order forfeiture of property used to commit an environmental offence
Regulators can keep seized evidence for the duration of proceedings and any appeal
New offences for interfering with seized things carry up to 165 penalty units

Groundwater impacts and 'make good' protections

The bill updates how underground water impacts from mining and gas are reported and managed, and strengthens protections for bore owners. Underground water impact reports move to a five-year cycle, baseline assessment strategies are introduced for cumulative management areas, and bore owners gain a new right to request a bore assessment.

Bore owners can apply to have a resource company directed to assess their bore, with review and appeal rights
'Make good' agreements are clarified, with a cooling-off period and limits on what counts as part of the agreement
Tenure holders must report annually on make good obligations, with penalties up to 500 penalty units for failing to do so
Underground water impact reports move from a three-year to a five-year cycle

Single tourism permit

Tourism operators working across protected areas, State forests, State marine parks and recreation areas can apply for one 'single integrated permission' covering all relevant locations, with a single fee and expiry date. This delivers a commitment in the government's Destination 2045 tourism plan.

One integrated permit can cover parks, State forests, marine parks and recreation areas
A single fee and single expiry date instead of multiple separate permits
Recreation area commercial activity permit terms increase from 3 to 5 years and become transferable
Operators can still choose to apply for separate permits if they prefer

Conservation officer planning powers

Nature Conservation Act officers gain investigation, entry, search and seizure powers for Planning Act offences where they relate to protected wildlife and habitat, currently applying to koala habitat. This brings their powers into line with comparable frameworks. The bill also clarifies the meaning of 'protected area'.

Conservation officers can investigate and enforce planning offences affecting protected wildlife and habitat (e.g. koala habitat)
Officers can enter and search places, and stop and search vehicles, boats and aircraft for these offences
Evidence can be seized and kept for up to 6 months, longer if a prosecution starts
The dictionary is updated to clarify the context-specific meaning of 'protected area'

How this affects you

Environment

•A new list of 'significant environmental values' will set out what the government prioritises protectingClause 53 (new s 9A)An environmental value may be declared significant only if the Minister is satisfied it is of State significance and should be protected as a priority.
•Some public-comment steps are removed, including notifying draft terms of reference for environmental impact statements and the public interest evaluation processClauses 6 and 33The bill removes the requirement to publicly notify draft terms of reference and omits the public interest evaluation process (sections 316PA-316PE).
•Bore owners near mining and gas projects gain a new right to ask the government to direct a resource company to assess their boreClause 202 (new s 419B)Bore owners can apply, with evidence, for a bore assessment notice to be issued to the relevant tenure holder before a make good agreement is entered into.
•Resource companies must report each year on their 'make good' obligations to affected bore owners, with penalties for failing to do soClause 205 (new s 437B)Non-compliance with the annual make good reporting requirement carries a maximum penalty of 500 penalty units.

Business & Economy

•Lower-risk activities can operate under a standard code instead of applying for an individual environmental licenceClause 54 (new s 20)A regulation may declare an ERA to be a code-managed ERA where the risk is known and harm can be effectively managed by complying with an ERA code.
•Small scale miners no longer have to lodge a financial surety, and over 3,000 existing sureties will be refundedClause 126 (new s 110)Financial surety is no longer required for code-managed activities; the scheme manager's obligation will likely involve refunding over 3,000 financial sureties.
•Mandatory three-yearly mine rehabilitation audits become discretionary, targeted at higher-risk sitesClause 32 (s 285)The amendment shifts the audit trigger to a discretionary decision so resources can be directed toward higher-risk sites.
•Nature-based tourism operators can apply for one permit covering national parks, State forests, marine parks and recreation areas, with a single fee and expiry dateClause 99 (new s 38) and Clause 162 (new s 55L)The single integrated permission delivers Destination 2045 initiative 1.2 to streamline permitting for tourism operations across multiple tenures; recreation area permit terms also increase from 3 to 5 years and become transferable.

Justice & Rights

•Regulators get more time to prosecute environmental offences, with limits extended from one to two years, or three years for serious harmClause 40 (s 497)More serious and complex offences, such as causing serious or material environmental harm, can be prosecuted within three years.
•Courts can order property used to commit an environmental offence to be forfeitedClause 38 (new s 463E)The court may order forfeiture of a thing that was the subject of, or used to commit, the offence, having regard to hardship and the seriousness of the offence.
•Conservation officers gain powers to investigate, enter, search and seize evidence for planning offences affecting protected wildlife and habitat, such as koala habitatClauses 140-149 (Nature Conservation Act)Officers can enter and search places and stop and search vehicles, boats and aircraft for these offences; seized evidence can be kept for up to 6 months, longer if a prosecution starts.

Bill Journey

Introduced20 Nov 2025

First Reading

Committee

Committee Report30 Jan 2026

Committee report tabled

Second Reading

In Detail

Third Reading

Royal Assent — Act 12 of 202616 June 2026

Referenced Entities

Legislation

Sectors Affected

Conservation Pollution Control Water Resources Mineral Mining Tourism

Classified using AGIFT/ANZSIC Australian government standards

Source Documents

Spotted an error on this page? Send feedback

Tell us about anything that looks wrong with this bill’s summary, topics, or data. Your message is sent to the OpenQueensland team.