Local government shares the responsibility for regulating environmentally relevant activities (ERA) with the state government.
A business that conducts any of the following activities requires an environmental authority from Council:
- ERA 6 Asphalt Manufacturing
- ERA 12 Plastic Product Manufacturing (50t or more of plastic products/yr; or 5t or more of foam, composite plastics or rigid fibre-reinforced plastics/yr)
- ERA 19 Metal Forming (10000t or more/yr)
- ERA 38 Surface Coating (anodising, electroplating, enamelling or galvanising using 1t to 100t of surface coating materials in a year)
- ERA 49 Boat Maintenance or Repair
A full list of ERAs, including those that require approval by State Government, can be found in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.
Making an application to council for operating an ERA
To operate an Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA), you must have planning approval and an Environmental Authority. In most cases, new ERAs administered by Council are assessable development under the Planning Act 2016 and require a material change of use development application to Council.
To find out if you need to submit a development application, please visit Redland City Council Planning and Development Online.
Use this form to complete a development application for an ERA:
If your proposed ERA is considered accepted development under Councils City Plan, you only need to apply for an Environmental Authority. Please contact council for the Environmental Authority application form. Please see councils current application fees.
Additional development application forms may be required depending on Council’s planning scheme.
Register as a suitable operator
In addition to the above, an applicant for an Environmental Authority must be a suitable operator (e.g. person/s or company listed on the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES) register). Check if you are already registered online. If you haven’t previously registered, you must complete an online application or request the suitable operator registration form via email and submit to DES using the postal details found on the form.
Transferring an approved Environmental Authority to another person or entity
If you are taking over an ERA with an existing development approval and an Environmental Authority, you must submit a transfer of existing environmental authority application to Council using the approved form and register as suitable operator with DES. Please contact council to assist you with the application process and forms.
Change conditions of an existing Environmental Authority
To request a change to the conditions of the Environmental Authority, you need to complete and submit an amendment application form available from Council.
Contact council for Environmental authority application forms.
Complying with an Environmental Authority
Council will monitor Environmental Authority holder’s activities through routine inspections.
You must comply with the conditions of your Environmental Authority and your development approval. You are also responsible for your employees complying with these conditions. These requirements are in addition to the environmental obligations that everyone must comply with, and include:
- paying annual fees and submitting annual returns.
What could happen if not complying with an Environmental Authority
Failure to comply with your approval conditions of an Environmental Authority may result in one or more of the following enforcement actions:
- issuing of a letter requiring action or works to be conducted
- issuing of a Direction Notice requiring action to be taken or works to be conducted
- issuing of a Penalty Infringement Notice (PIN or on-the-spot fine)
- issuing of a Notice requiring an operator to conduct or commission an Environmental Evaluation
- issuing of a Notice requiring an operator to prepare and submit a Transitional Environmental Program (TEP)
- issuing of an Environmental Protection Order (EPO)
- adding, changing or cancelling a development condition
- suspension or cancellation of an environmental authority
- prosecution.
Making a complaint about an ERA
Contact council to lodge a complaint about an issue from an ERA.