January 26, 2026
Queensland Environmental Protection Act 1994 Reforms: What the 2025 Changes Mean for Your Project
On 20 November 2025, the Queensland Government introduced the Environmental Protection (Efficiency and Streamlining) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025, proposing significant reforms to the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld).
The Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) remains Queensland’s primary legislation regulating environmental management and environmentally relevant activities (ERAs). The proposed amendments are designed to improve efficiency and clarity within the approvals framework, while maintaining strong environmental protections.
Rather than weakening environmental safeguards, the reforms aim to create a more risk-based, proportionate and streamlined regulatory system for proponents, developers and local government.
What Is Changing Under the Environmental Protection Act 1994?
The proposed EP Act amendments are intended to:
- modernise environmental approval and assessment processes
- streamline pathways for low-risk environmentally relevant activities
- clarify responsibilities, compliance expectations and regulatory triggers
- reduce duplicated assessment effort between agencies
- allow regulators to focus resources on higher-risk activities
For project proponents, the framework remains robust but is expected to become clearer, faster and more predictable, particularly where environmental risk is low.
Key Reform Themes Under the EP Act
1. Streamlined Approval Pathways for Low-Risk ERAs
Under the amended EP Act, a greater range of standard and self-assessable codes is expected to apply to low-risk environmentally relevant activities.
In appropriate circumstances, this may result in:
- reduced Environmental Authority (EA) application requirements
- shorter statutory assessment timeframes
- lower approval costs and administrative burden
- clearer environmental conditions at the outset
Importantly, higher-risk activities will continue to require full assessment. The reforms focus on removing unnecessary process where environmental impacts are limited and well understood.
2. Clearer Environmental Obligations and Compliance Requirements
A key objective of the reforms is to improve clarity and consistency across the EP Act by:
- refining key definitions
- aligning enforcement and compliance powers
- clarifying when an EA, code or exemption applies
- using more consistent language across legislative provisions
These changes are intended to reduce approval uncertainty and delays by providing greater transparency around:
- which approvals are required
- what constitutes compliance or non-compliance
- regulator expectations during operation and rehabilitation
3. More Risk-Based Environmental Regulation
The amendments place stronger emphasis on aligning regulatory effort with actual environmental risk.
For industry, this is expected to deliver:
- less red tape for routine, low-impact activities
- greater scrutiny of large-scale or higher-risk proposals
- improved consistency in assessment outcomes
- clearer consequences where environmental harm occurs
Overall, the reforms aim to create a more predictable and proportionate environmental approvals system.
What the EP Act Reforms Mean for Proponents and Developers
If your project triggers the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the proposed reforms may affect:
- whether a full Environmental Authority is required
- approval complexity, timeframes and costs
- the level of technical or specialist studies required
- operational and rehabilitation conditions
- ongoing compliance and enforcement obligations
While approval pathways may become simpler for some activities, the reforms also reinforce the importance of:
- early identification of environmental risk
- appropriate technical assessment
- clear documentation and approvals strategy
- ongoing compliance once approvals are issued
How Redleaf Group Can Help Navigate the Amended EP Act
Redleaf Group supports clients through the full EP Act approvals lifecycle, helping projects move forward efficiently and with confidence. Our services include:
EP Act approval pathway identification
Determining whether self-assessable codes, standard conditions or a full Environmental Authority apply.
Environmental Authority applications
Preparing EA documentation and managing regulator engagement on your behalf.
Environmental risk and compliance strategy
Ensuring obligations are clearly understood and met throughout construction and operation.
Technical environmental assessment
Providing defensible ecological and environmental studies to support approvals where required.
Our focus is on reducing approval uncertainty, minimising delays and maintaining compliance.
What You Should Do Now
Project proponents should:
- review planned or ongoing projects involving environmentally relevant activities
- confirm likely approval pathways under the amended EP Act
- reassess project timeframes to account for potential efficiencies
- seek early advice to avoid unnecessary redesign, delay or compliance risk
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