Environment protection licences are a central means to control the localised, cumulative and acute impacts of pollution in NSW. In particular they aim to
- protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment in NSW, having regard to the need to maintain ecologically sustainable development
- provide increased opportunities for public involvement and participation in environment protection
- ensure that the community has access to relevant and meaningful information about pollution
- rationalise, simplify and strengthen the regulatory framework for environment protection
- improve the efficiency of administration of the environment protection legislation
- reduce risks to human health and prevent the degradation of the environment by the use of mechanisms that promote the following
- pollution prevention and cleaner production
- the reduction to harmless levels of the discharge of substances likely to cause harm to the environment
- the reduction in the use of materials and the re-use or recycling of materials
- the making of progressive environmental improvements, including the reduction of pollution at source
- the monitoring and reporting of environmental quality on a regular basis.
The POEO Act contains a list of activities that require an environment protection licence. These are listed in Schedule 1 of the POEO Act.
eConnect EPA is the Environment Protection Authority's (EPA) online licensing tool.
Go to eConnect EPA to start an application for a licence.
More information on licensing and help in determining whether you require a licence can be found in the Guide to licensing.
For more information on other environmental legislation and licensing requirements, see other environmental legislation.