• What is Environmental Impact Assessment?
• What are the benefits of Environmental Impact Assessment?
• What is the process of Environmental Impact Assessment at the GBRMPA?
• What is public advertising?
• I am a permit applicant. What steps should I follow to conduct public advertising?
• I am a community member. How do I make a submission on an application?
• How much does an application cost and how long does it take?
• What is an Environment Management Plan? (point to page)

What is Environmental Impact Assessment?

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a formal process for evaluating the likely possible risks or effect on the environment of a proposed activity or development. Common activities where a detailed EIA process is undertaken by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) include developments within the Marine Park such as pontoons, jetties, pipelines, dredging and marinas.

What are the benefits of Environmental Impact Assessment?

EIA is a process that allows information to be compiled to evaluate whether an approval (permit) or refusal will be in the best interest of the community. Assessment criteria include ecological, social, economic, Indigenous interests, as well as current and future use of the proposed location.

Risk management allows the systematic application of management policies, procedures and programs to identify, analyse, assess, treat and monitor risks. Risk management involves the acceptance of risks and taking actions to manage, reduce, transfer or eliminate them proportionate to the level of risk involved.

What is the process of Environmental Impact Assessment at the GBRMPA?

There are four main stages of EIA: scoping, assessment, implementation and audit.

For more information view the Environmental Impact Management Policy. Applicants are invited to contact the GBRMPA at an early scoping stage to discuss their general proposal, its scale and proposed location. Applicants must also consider whether their proposal should be referred to the Commonwealth Environment Department under the provisions of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. Where the grant of a permit may restrict the public's reasonable use of a part of the Marine Park, the GBRMPA may require that the applicant publish a notice to the public.

What is the process for public advertising?

Where the grant of a permit may restrict the reasonable use of part of the Marine Park by the public (for example, for developments such as pontoons, jetties, pipelines, dredging and marinas) GBRMPA sometimes require the applicant to conduct public advertising of the proposal.

This process requires the applicant to advertise the proposal in a newspaper circulating generally in that part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park adjacent to the proposed development, and to develop information packages to be made available to the public during a defined public comment period. This provides an opportunity for members of the public to make informed comment on major permit applications. Comments are considered by the GBRMPA when making its decision on whether to grant the permit.

I am a permit applicant. What steps should I follow to conduct public advertising?

Here are the steps that you should follow to conduct public advertising in accordance with your obligations (note: the GBRMPA will notify you in writing when public advertising is required):

1. Prepare an information package for public use. Information packages can include:

• A project introduction/words about the company applying for the permit
• An overview of works or program to be undertaken, including, if relevant, construction, works and/or operation facts and timelines
• A description of how environmental impact will be managed
• Maps of the proposed location, showing relevant site management arrangements (zoning, settings etc) and if relevant, a drawing of the proposal
• How the proposal will impact access by other users
• Frequently Asked Questions, relevant policies and contact details.

2. Draft a public notice advertisement (following the standard format) to be published in a local Queensland newspaper circulating in the area adjacent to the location of your proposal (e.g. Whitsunday times, Townsville Bulletin, Cairns Post). Contact the local newspaper to arrange a suitable publishing date (at your expense), preferably on a Saturday.

3. Submit a copy of your information package and advertisement to the GBRMPA for approval, at least 21 days before the intended publishing date. This information package will be made available from both the GBRMPA website and – if applicable - your own company’s website on the same day the advertisement is published in the newspaper. The GBRMPA will generally prepare a news release on the application and public advertising process, concurrently with the advertising.

4. On the agreed date, advertise the proposal and upload your information package on your website. The period for public comment is a minimum of 30 days but it may be extended - for example, if it overlaps with a public holiday period.

5. Following the public comment period, the GBRMPA may issue a news release and/or schedule a meeting to discuss the outcome of the public comment phase.

If the GBRMPA considers that meetings with stakeholders are required they will contact you. Once the public comment period has ended, the GBRMPA will prepare a Summary of Submissions Report which will be published on its GBRMPA website and circulated to you and all those who sent in submissions.

I am a community member. How do I make a submission on an application?

The opportunity for the public to comment on a proposal is an important part of the GBRMPA environmental assessment processes. As part of that process, interested parties are invited to contact the GBRMPA for more information, or to make a written submission in relation to the proposal. Current consultation opportunities are posted to our website, along with details on how to make a submission.

A template form is available and may assist you in drafting your own submission.

How much does an application cost and how long does it take?

Assessment costs for an application to the GBRMPA vary from approximately $650 to over $90 000. For complex developments a consultant(s) may need to be employed by the developer for specialist studies.

If a permit is granted there may be additional costs associated with monitoring and supervising permit conditions. The GBRMPA has a policy of recovering these costs from the developer.

A major project will generally take between six months to three years for planning, assessment, construction and management. In some cases very large projects may continue to develop over ten years or more and require ongoing management by the GBRMPA.