Section 24B — Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999: Requirement for approval of activities in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Actions in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park affecting the environment (1) A person must not take in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park an action that has, will have or is likely to have, a significant impact on the environment. Civil penalty: (a) for an individual—5,000 penalty units; (b) for a body corporate—50,000 penalty units. Actions outside Great Barrier Reef Marine Park affecting the environment in the Marine Park (2) A person must not take outside the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park but in the Australian jurisdiction an action that: (a) has or will have a significant impact on the environment in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park; or (b) is likely to have a significant impact on the environment in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Civil penalty: (a) for an individual—5,000 penalty units; (b) for a body corporate—50,000 penalty units. Exceptions to prohibition (3) Subsection (1) or (2) does not apply to an action if: (a) an approval of the taking of the action by the person is in operation under Part 9 for the purposes of the subsection; or (b) Part 4 lets the person take the action without an approval under Part 9 for the purposes of the subsection; or (ba) there is in force a determination under section 79E that the action may continue to be taken and the action is taken in accordance with the conditions (if any) specified in the determination; or (c) there is in force a decision of the Minister under Division 2 of Part 7 that the subsection is not a controlling provision for the action and, if the decision was made because the Minister believed the action would be taken in a manner specified in the notice of the decision under section 77, the action is taken in that manner; or (d) the person taking the action is the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency; or (e) the action is an action described in subsection 160(2) (which describes actions whose authorisation is subject to a special environmental assessment process). Note: Section 28 regulates actions by the Commonwealth or a Commonwealth agency with a significant impact on the environment.