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Environmentally Relevant Activities

 

Environmentally Relevant Activities (ERAs) are activities that will, or have the potential to, release contaminants into the environment that may cause environmental harm.  It is a requirement of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act) that anyone who conducts an ERA must hold a development approval for that activity and a registration certificate.

 

The following ERAs are devolved to Local Government as listed in schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 1998: 

 

    ERA # 4 Poultry Farming
ERA # 4 Poultry Farming

Farming poultry, including egg and fertile egg production, the rearing of hatchlings, starter pullets, layers and poultry for meat in facilities having a total holding capacity of more than 1000 birds but less than 200 000 birds.

    ERA # 11(a) Petroleum Product Storage
ERA # 11(a) Petroleum Product Storage

Storing crude oil or petroleum product in tanks or containers having a combined total storage capacity of 10 000L or more but less than 500 000L.

    ERA # 14 Crematorium
ERA # 14 Crematorium

Cremating human, pet or animal remains.

    ERA # 20(a) Extraction
ERA # 20(a) Extraction

Extracting rock (other than rock mined in block or slab form for building purposes), sand (other than foundry sand), clay (other than clay used for its ceramic properties, kaolin or bentonite), gravel, loam or other material (other than gravel, loam or other material under a mining tenement or petroleum authority) from a pit or quarry using plant or equipment having a design capacity of—(a) not more than 5000t a year.

    ERA # 22 Screening
ERA # 22 Screening

Screening, washing, crushing, grinding, milling, sizing or separating material extracted from the earth (other than under a mining tenement or petroleum authority) or by dredging using plant or equipment having a design capacity of more than 50t, but less than 5000t, a year.

    ERA # 23 Abrasive Blasting
ERA # 23 Abrasive Blasting

Commercially cleaning equipment or structures using a stream of abrasives: 

(a) if the activity is carried out at a permanent location

(b) if the activity is a mobile and temporary environmentally relevant activity.

(c) if the activity is carried out at a permanent location and includes a mobile and temporary.

    ERA # 24 Boiler Making or Engineering
ERA #24 Boiler Making or Engineering

Commercial boiler making, electrical machine manufacturing or building or assembly of agricultural equipment, motor vehicles, trains, trams or heavy machinery.

    ERA # 25 Metal Surface Coating
ERA # 25 Metal Surface Coating

Commercial spray painting (other than spray painting motor vehicles), powder coating, enamelling, electroplating, anodising or alvanising in works having an annual throughput of metal products of:

(a) less than 2000t

(b) 2000t or more but less than 10000t.

    ERA # 26 Metal Forming
ERA # 26 Metal Forming

Pressing, forging, extending, extruding or rolling metal, forming metal into plate, wire or rods or fabricating sheet metal.

    ERA # 27 Metal Recovery
ERA #27 Metal Recovery

Commercially operating a scrap metal yard or ismantling automotive or mechanical equipment, including debonding brake or clutch components.

    ERA # 28 Motor Vehicle Workshop
ERA # 28 Motor Vehicle Workshop

Operating a workshop or mobile workshop in the course of which motor vehicle mechanical or panel repairs are carried out in the course of a commercial or municipal enterprise (other than on a farm or under a mining tenement) or on a commercial basis.

    ERA # 43 Animal Housing
ERA # 43 Animal Housing

Commercially operating a boarding or breeding kennel, dog pound, greyhound training facility or veterinary clinic in which animals are boarded other than overnight for treatment.

    ERA # 47 Pet, Stock or Aquaculture Food Manufacturing
ERA # 47 Pet, Stock or Aquaculture Food Manufacturing

Commercially manufacturing or processing pet, stock or aquaculture food (other than an abattoir, slaughter house, rendering works or animal glue or gelatine works).

    ERA # 51 Plastic Manufacturing
ERA # 51 Plastic Manufacturing

Commercially manufacturing plastic or plastic products in works having a design production capacity of:

(a) more than 1t, but less than 5t, a year.

(b) 5t or more a year.

    ERA # 52 Printing
ERA # 52 Printing

Commercially screen printing or printing (other than photocopying and photographic printing), including advertising material, magazines, newspapers, packaging and stationery.

    ERA # 59 Asphalt Manufacturing
ERA # 59 Asphalt Manufacturing

Manufacturing asphalt.

    ERA # 62 Concrete Batching
ERA # 62 Concrete Batching

Producing concrete or a concrete product by mixing cement, sand, rock, aggregate or other similar materials in works (including mobile works) having a design production capacity of more than 100t a year.

    ERA # 65 Motor Racing
ERA # 65 Motor Racing

Conducting a motor race other than an international motor race.

    ERA # 68 Wooden Product Manufacturing
ERA # 68 Wooden Product Manufacturing

Commercially manufacturing or fabricating (other than as mentioned in items 66 and 67) a wooden product, including, for example, a product made by a cabinet-maker, joiner or other woodworker, in a facility having a design production capacity of more than 1t a year.

    ERA # 69 Boat Maintaining or Repairing
ERA # 69 Boat Maintaining or Repairing

Facility—operating a commercial facility for maintaining or repairing any type of boat or inboard or outboard marine engine.

    ERA # 70 Heliport
ERA # 70 Heliport

Operating a facility for landing helicopters (other than a facility forming part of an aerodrome used for general aviation or for sole use in emergency circumstances).

    ERA # 73 Marina or Seaplane Mooring
ERA # 73 Marina or Seaplane Mooring

Operating a commercial marina or facility for mooring seaplanes, including any land-based buildings or works used in association with the marina or mooring

(a) for less than 20 berths or moorings

(b) for 20 or more, but less than 100, berths or moorings

(c) for 100 or more berths or moorings.

    ERA # 76 Incinerating Waste
ERA # 76 Incinerating Waste

Operating a waste incineration facility for incinerating

(a) vegetation

(b) clean paper or cardboard

 
 

Please note that the above-mentioned activities are not devolved to local government if any of the following apply:

  • The activity includes a non-devolved ERA at the same place;

  • The activity is carried out by local or state government; or

  • The activity is mobile and temporary ERA that is carried out in more than one local government area.

 

Applying for a Proposed New ERA OR an Increasing the Size of an Existing ERA

 
Making an Application for a Development Approval

In 1997, the Queensland Government introduced the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (IPA). The IPA established a new system for assessing and placing conditions on development applications. This system is known as Integrated Development Assessment System (IDAS).

Certain activities known as ERAs are assessed through the IDAS system.  The process involves assessing the application against the EP Act to ensure the proposed activity will not cause environmental harm.  Following the successful completion of the IDAS process a development approval may be issued.

 

Application Forms

For the ERA component of any development approval, please complete the following forms:

The following guides will assist you in completing the above forms:

If you have already received a development approval for the site but have not included the application forms for the ERA component, you will be required to apply separately for the ERA and be subject to applicable IDAS timeframes.  You will not be allowed to operate the ERA until the applicable ERA development approval and registration certificates have been obtained.

 

Fees

An application fee applies and is payable to the Town Planning Department upon submission.

 

Where do I apply

All development applications are to be submitted to the Town Planning Department. If there are any questions related to Part G IDAS Application Form - ERA please contact the Environmental Health Department on 49700 772.  As part of the assessment process, Council Environmental Health Section will assess the ERA component of the DA application and give appropriate conditions to the planning department.  Once the Development Approval has been granted, you may proceed to construct the ERA.  However, you cannot open and operate until a Registration Certificate to operate is granted.

 

Making an application for an ERA registration certificate

The Environmental Protection Act 1994 requires that any person carrying out an ERA must hold, or be acting under, a registration certificate for the activity. Once your Development Application has been approved and you are ready to open the business, you are required to apply for a registration certificate to operate the business (if not already submitted).

When the application for a registration certificate is received, an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will organise to conduct a final inspection prior to opening the business.  The inspection will assess compliance of the ERA conditions listed in the development approval.  If conditions have been adhered to and the applicant is a suitable person to be a registered operator, the registration certificate will be issued.  However, an application for a registration certificate may be refused if the applicant is not a suitable person to be a registered operator having regard to the applicant's environmental record.

 

Fees

An application fee applies, however, if you submit your registration application with the development application there is no application fee required for the registration application.  An annual fee applies to the registration certificate that is due to be paid prior to opening the business.  Each year the annual fee is due by the 30 June.  A tax invoice will automatically be sent out to all holders of a registration certificate.  Fees are determined in accordance with the activity/ies that are stated on the registration certificate.  

 

 

Application for Continuing Registration (sale of business)

If you are taking over a business from an existing operator, you will need to indicate on the registration application form that you are applying for a continuing registration. In addition to the standard details on the registration form, the details and signatures of the new operator and the existing operator will be required.  It is a requirement that the existing operator notify the buyer of the need to hold a registration certificate.

Fees

A fee is applicable when continuing (transferring) the registration certificate from the previous owner to the new owner.  The fee is payable upon submission of the registration certificate form.

 

How to cancel / surrender a ERA registration certificate

You are required to surrender your registration certificate if you have closed down and no longer operate the ERA activities as listed on your registration certificate.

There are no fees associated with this form and you can submit your completed application form to the Environmental Health Section. In your application, you will need to include details demonstrating that the site was left in an environmentally sound state and that you complied with the conditions of your Development Approval.

 

Fact Sheets

Pollution Solutions are an operator's Environmental Guide for Environmentally Relevant Activities that have been compiled by Brisbane City Council and industry.  These will help you understand how to comply with Environmental Protection requirements.