In what is, at least in part, a response to the issues
surrounding the Yabulu Nickel Refinery, the Queensland Government
has introduced a bill to Parliament, which seeks to significantly
increase the range of people who can be pursued in the event of
non-compliance with the Environmental Protection Act 1994
(Qld) (EP Act) or with conditions of an environmental
authority.
The Environmental Protection (Chain of Responsibility) Bill
2016 (the Bill) was read for the first time on 15 March 2016
and has now been referred to the Agricultural and Environment
Committee to report back by 15 April 2016. People who wish to make
a submission on the Bill must do so by Thursday 31 March 2016.
The Bill aims to ensure that the people responsible for causing
environmental harm and who are unable or unwilling to carry out the
remediation works are held accountable, and that elaborate
corporate arrangements cannot be used to avoid responsibility. The
Bill applies to all environmental
