LBL is an economic instrument used by the EPA to reward industries for reducing their environmental emissions by reducing their fee payable.
LBL load and fee data are calculated in accordance with the Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2009.
Fees may differ between premises as a result of many variables, for example the load emitted, the location of the premises and the types of pollutants that apply, so direct comparisons between industries and premises cannot be meaningfully made without proper consideration of the contextual information provided below.
- LBL data should be read in conjunction with:
- Load-based Licensing - A Fairer System that Rewards Cleaner Industry (lblbooklet.pdf 298kb) provides a plain English overview of the LBL scheme
- Load Calculation Protocol - explains the different load terms and methods used to calculate loads
- Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2009 - sets out the rules for the LBL scheme and identifies which activities have assessable pollutants
See also - Guide to Licensing - Part A, Licensing under the POEO Act, LBL On-line Fee Calculator
- Pollutant loads can vary between industries depending on
- type of industry
- size of premises and production quantities
- type of process and inputs used
- type and extent of measures used on site to reduce the level of pollutants;
- applicable critical zones and pollutant weightings
- any load reduction agreements in place (for more information see Load Reduction Agreements: Freeing funds for environmental improvements at lramar0596.pdf (194 kb)
- The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) is a national scheme of emission reporting. (Further information can be found on http://www.npi.gov.au/.) Pollutant loads reported under NPI may differ from those reported for the same premises under LBL due to:
- different triggers used for reporting
- different reporting periods
- different calculation methods used by each scheme
The administrative fee must be paid by licensees at the start of each licence fee period. For administrative fee calculations, see section 6.2 of Guide to Licensing - Part A.
Some load-based licensing data is not available - electronic LBL data is only available from reporting period start date 1 July 2002. For more information contact the DECC.
Load reduction agreements (LRAs) are voluntary agreements between licensees with assessable pollutants and the EPA, pursuant to Division 4 of the POEO (General) Regulation. They provide immediate fee reductions for companies will to commit to future reductions of assessable pollutants, thereby freeing funds for investment in improved environmental performance. Agreements last for a maximum of four years, giving licensees up to three full years to implement upgrades and one to demonstrate attainment of the agreed load.