Section 159 — Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Simplified outline of this Subdivision

The following is a simplified outline of this Subdivision: A Commonwealth agency or employee must consider advice from the Minister before authorising one of the following actions with a significant impact on the environment: (a) providing foreign aid; (b) managing aircraft operations in airspace; (c) adopting or implementing a major development plan for an airport; (d) an action prescribed by the regulations. The agency or employee must inform the Minister of the proposal to authorise the action. The environmental impacts of the action must be assessed in accordance with a declaration made by the Minister accrediting a Commonwealth assessment process, or by one of the following methods chosen by the Minister: (a) a specially accredited process; (aa) an assessment on referral information under Division 3A; (b) an assessment on preliminary documentation under Division 4 of Part 8; (c) a public environment report under Division 5 of Part 8; (d) an environmental impact statement under Division 6 of Part 8; (e) an inquiry under Division 7 of Part 8. The Minister must give the agency or employee advice on protecting the environment from the action, within 30 days of receiving the report of the assessment.