The Australian Government is committed to reform of the EPBC Act to deliver protection for the environment while also unlocking job-creating projects to strengthen the economy.
The Government’s initial priority is establishing single touch environmental approvals by entering into approval bilateral agreements and accrediting state and territory authorisation processes under national environmental law.
Each Bilateral Agreement is underpinned by key documents which will provide further information on the process and considerations.
Accreditation criteria
The accreditation criteria have been developed to inform the accreditation of environmental approval systems and negotiation of approval bilateral agreements between the Commonwealth and each state and territory. The accreditation criteria form part of a rigorous assurance framework that will include a series of checks and balances, to ensure that the bilateral agreements are implemented effectively and are delivering on intended outcomes. The accreditation criteria are a Commonwealth document and form the basis for the Australian Government’s approach to bilateral negotiations.