Streamlining offshore petroleum environmental approvals

Petroleum activities in Commonwealth waters that are likely to impact on matters of national environmental significance are regulated under both the Offshore Petroleum and Greenhouse Gas Storage Act 2006 (OPGGS Act) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

To avoid duplication, the Commonwealth government is proposing to endorse the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority (NOPSEMA) as the single independent regulator for offshore petroleum environmental assessments and approvals; providing one authorisation process which complies with both the OPGGS Act and the EPBC Act requirements.

The Minister for the Environment is to consider endorsement and approval of the new arrangement by the end of February 2014.