Referring Matters to the Environment Protection Authority
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) was established as an independent body to give advice to the Territory, businesses and the community on matters of ecological sustainable development. Under the Environment Protection Authority Act the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage can refer a matter to the EPA for investigation and advice.
The Environment Protection Authority Act also provides the EPA with the ability to inquire and report on matters on its own volition as well as receive third party referrals. It is not confined to referrals received only from Government.
Criteria have been developed by the EPA, and agreed to by the Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage, for the purposes of assessing and making a decision on whether an issue warrants consideration / investigation by the EPA. These criteria will be used when assessing third party referrals.
If you are seeking to refer a matter to the EPA for investigation these criteria should provide some guidance on whether the matter is likely to be assessed as a priority by the EPA and accordingly, how your information should be presented to the EPA.
