New ERA Registration
Prior to starting any business relating to environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) you must check with council's Planning and Regulatory Services Department to ensure that the land/property is suitable for your intended use. All new ERAs require planning approval and will be processed as part of the planning approval.
A development permit for an ERA lists conditions that must be complied with to set up and operate the business.
You will need to apply for a development permit if your proposal is considered to be a “Material Change of Use” with respect to the ERA. This means that if you want to:
- Start a new ERA on a site
- Increase the scale or intensity of your operations
- Move an existing ERA to a new site
- Restart an abandoned ERA that has previously operated on the site Continue an ERA that wasn’t licensed previously
To apply for a development permit, you must use the Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) forms relevant for your development. This includes application for a new ERA or Change Application (form 5).
Please note: Prior to applying to Council for planning approval or an environmental authority, you must be registered as a suitable operator with the Queensland Government.
Environmentally Relevant Activities administered by Council
- ERA 6 - Asphalt Manufacturing
Manufacturing more than 1000 tonnes of asphalt in a year.
- ERA 12 - Plastic Product Manufacturing
Manufacturing more than 50 tonnes per year of plastic product in a year, other than foam, composite plastics or rigid fibre-reinforced plastics
Manufacturing a total of five tonnes or more of foam, composite plastics or rigid fibre-reinforced plastics in a year.
- ERA 19 - Metal Forming
Hot forming a total of 10,000 tonnes or more of metal in a year.
- ERA 38 - Surface Coating
Anodising, electroplating, enamelling or galvanising using one to 100 tonnes of surface coating materials in a year.
- ERA 49 - Boat Maintenance or Repair Facility
Operating on a commercial basis a boat maintenance or repair facility for maintaining or repairing hulls, superstructure or mechanical components of boats and seaplanes.
If the activity is not listed above, you may need to apply for an environmental authority with Queensland Government. A full list of ERAs, including those that require approval from the Queensland Government can be found in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.
Renewals
After approval, your environmental authority needs to be renewed annually. Each registration period runs from 1 July to 30 June (one financial year) and a renewal notice will be issued approximately four weeks prior to the due date (30 June).
Minor Amendment, Transfer or Surrender of current ERA Registration
If you operate on a site that already has a development permit for an ERA, you must make sure that you have access to the relevant conditions and your activity is the same as the one for which the development approval was issued.
As the registered operator, you are required to comply with all conditions on the development permit. It is possible to amend conditions on a development permit, as long as the amendment does not trigger a Material Change of Use.
If you are wanting to make a minor amendment, transfer registration or surrender your current registration, complete the Environmentally Relevant Activities Form.
Minor Amendment to Registration
A minor amendment is administrative and includes updating a contact name, postal address, telephone number or email address.
Continuing Registration (Transfer)
You may wish to transfer your Environmental Authority (EA) in some situations. For example, if you sell a business that includes an EA, you will need to transfer the EA to the new business owner.
Also, a transfer will be required when an EA has joint holders and an existing joint holder wants to cease being a holder, or, a new joint holder is added. For an EA holder to transfer EAs for prescribed environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) to another person, the EA holder will need to make a transfer application.
The existing environmental authority holder and the proposed new transferee are both required to sign the form. The proposed transferee must be a registered suitable operator with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science.
Surrender of Registration Certificate
Only the environmental authority holder (licensee) may cancel or surrender the environmental authority.
More Information
Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS) forms
Environmentally Relevant Activities Form
Ipswich Planning and Development
Department of Environment and Science