Environmentally Relevant Activity

Environmental Authority application

You need an environmental authority from Council to conduct any of the following activities:

  • 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, enameling 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. 

If the activity related to your business is not included the above, you still have a responsibility to comply with the General Environmental Duty (Section 319), other relevant legislation, and other related applications to ensure that your business does not have an adverse impact on the environment.

    1. Registration with the Queensland Government as a suitable operator  - accordion

    Before you apply for an environmental authority, you must be registered as a suitable operator with the Queensland Government

    1. Planning Approvals – accordion

    All environmental authorities administered by Council are assessable development under the Planning Act 2016 and require a material change of use development application to Council.

    If the site already has an environmental authority, you may still need planning approval for these activities:

    • changing the type of activity (e.g. from mechanical repair to metal recovery)
    • re-establishing an ERA activity that was abandoned
    • changing the scale or intensity of activity (e.g. adding an extra plastic extrusion line)
    • carrying out assessable building work (e.g. constructing a spray booth)
    • carrying out plumbing or drainage work (e.g. trade waste connection).

    To find out if you need to submit a development application, you can:

    • lodge an enquiry with Council
    • arrange a pre-lodgement meeting with Council
    • engage a town planning consultant registered with the Planning Institute of Australia
    • self-assess your property details against Council’s planning scheme.

  • If planning approval is already in place, complete the Environmental Authority Application Form. You can lodge the application by:

    • Email - all emails and attached documents are to be sent to mail@noosa.qld.gov.au
    • In person – by visiting Tewantin Office located at 9 Pelican St, Tewantin  QLD  4565
    • Post – you can post your application and relevant documents to: Noosa Council, PO Box 141 Tewantin QLD 4565
       

    How to pay

    After your application form is received, Council will email a payment link to the applicant after all of the required information has been submitted. Your application will be assessed by an Environmental Health Officer after full and correct payment has been received.

    Still have questions?

    If you require further information, please submit an enquiry or contact Council’s customer service centre.

    Submit an enquiry

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