Department of Environment and Science
OrganisationReferenced in 15 bills
Waste Reduction and Recycling (Waste Levy) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
This bill introduces a waste levy of $70 per tonne on waste sent to landfill in Queensland's populated areas. The levy aims to make recycling more attractive than dumping, fund new recycling programs, and stop Queensland being used as a dumping ground for interstate waste.
Nature Conservation and Other Legislation (Indigenous Joint Management - Moreton Island) Amendment Bill 2020
This bill enables joint management of Moreton Island's national parks and conservation areas between the Queensland Government and the Quandamooka People, following the Federal Court's recognition of their native title in 2019. It transfers protected area land to the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation as Aboriginal land while maintaining its conservation status through a jointly managed arrangement.
Environmental Protection (Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill strengthens regulations to protect the Great Barrier Reef from agricultural pollution. It introduces mandatory minimum practice standards for farmers across all six Reef catchment regions to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, which science identifies as the main cause of poor Reef water quality. The bill also adopts a national standard for listing threatened species.
Biodiscovery and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019
This bill strengthens protections for First Nations traditional knowledge used in scientific research by requiring researchers to obtain consent and share benefits with knowledge custodians. It also simplifies the approval process for biodiscovery activities and aligns Queensland law with international treaties including the Nagoya Protocol.
Nature Conservation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
This bill extends commercial beekeeping access in specified national parks for 20 years until 2044, creates new offences for impersonating park rangers, and updates governance arrangements for the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It delivers an election commitment to beekeepers while strengthening enforcement against people who deceive park visitors by pretending to be rangers.
Natural Resources and Other Legislation (GDA2020) Amendment Bill 2019
This bill updates Queensland's spatial positioning framework to the national GDA2020 standard, ensuring maps stay accurate as Australia drifts north-east. It also creates easier pathways for Traditional Owners to receive land under Indigenous Land Use Agreements and streamlines state land lease renewals.
Justice and Other Legislation (COVID-19 Emergency Response) Amendment Bill 2020
This bill amends over 20 Queensland Acts to respond to the COVID-19 public health emergency. It provides financial relief for businesses and individuals, expands emergency powers for health and corrective services, and gives government agencies operational flexibility during the pandemic. Most provisions were set to expire on 31 December 2020.
Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020
This bill establishes a Rehabilitation Commissioner to provide independent advice on mine site rehabilitation and improves the framework for managing environmental risks on former resource sites. It ensures the State receives adequate funds from mining companies to manage residual risks after sites are closed, and requires these risks to be recorded on land titles.
Police Service Administration and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021
This bill modernises how security is provided at Queensland government buildings by merging two categories of security officers into one and giving them clearer legal powers. It repeals the outdated 1983 State Buildings Protective Security Act and moves relevant provisions into existing police legislation, better integrating Protective Services into Queensland Police Service.
Mineral and Energy Resources (Financial Provisioning) Bill 2018
This bill creates a new financial provisioning scheme to protect Queensland from the cost of mine rehabilitation when companies fail to meet their obligations. It replaces the previous individual financial assurance system with a pooled fund where companies pay contributions based on their assessed risk level, and requires all major mines to have Progressive Rehabilitation and Closure Plans with enforceable milestones.
Nature Conservation (Special Wildlife Reserves) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
This bill creates 'special wildlife reserves' - a new type of protected area for private land that provides the same level of protection as national parks. Landholders voluntarily enter perpetual agreements with the government to protect their land from mining, forestry and other incompatible uses, while retaining ownership. The bill also extends Great Barrier Reef environmental protections to activities crossing into Commonwealth waters.
Health and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2018
This bill reforms several health-related regulatory frameworks in Queensland. It repeals the state's medicinal cannabis approval system (which duplicated Commonwealth processes), establishes a register to track occupational dust lung diseases like coal workers' pneumoconiosis, empowers health authorities to require public notices about pollution events, and ensures freehold retirement village residents receive timely payment when they leave.
Nature Conservation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
This bill validates the use of electronic systems for automatically issuing routine environmental and wildlife permits. It confirms that permits automatically issued since 2017 are legally valid and ensures environmental enforcement tools remain effective after recent legislative changes.
Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
This bill strengthens how Queensland measures and monitors non-urban water use, particularly in the Murray-Darling Basin. It requires water entitlement holders to use approved measurement devices or develop certified measurement plans, and enables telemetry for real-time compliance monitoring. The bill also makes various administrative improvements to water authority governance and water supply regulation.
Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2022
This bill modernises Queensland's environmental protection laws by streamlining approval processes, strengthening compliance powers, and better protecting the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It introduces temporary environmental authorities for emergency situations and bans mining in the Wet Tropics.