EPBC Act
About the Act
The EPBC Act, which commenced in July 2000, represents the most fundamental reform of government environment laws since the 1970s. It requires that human activities having a significant impact on issues classed as "of national environment significance" are to be reviewed and approved by the Commonwealth - such as activities that may impact upon World Heritage Areas, Ramsar wetlands, national heritage places, or nationally threatened species.
WWF-Australia was instrumental in bringing this piece of legislation to the fore, and we now monitor the practical application of the Act, helping community groups and local governments understand its processes to achieve positive conservation outcomes.
EPBC Project
The EPBC Project monitors the practical application of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, helping community groups and local governments understand its processes to achieve positive conservation outcomes.
It is a joint project of WWF-Australia, the Australian Council of National Trusts and the Tasmanian Conservation Trust with funding from the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage.
The EPBC Project has its own website where you can get more information about the EPBC Act and how you can use it to create conservation outcomes. You can also download free copies of the project's publications.
Snapshot of our activities
- We pursue additional amendments to strengthen the Act, including tighter regulation of invasive species.
- We run an active nomination program that seeks national listing of a variety of threatened species, ecological communities and key threatening processes.
- We run an information unit with the National Trust and the Tasmanian Conservation Trust, that provides practical advice and resources to community groups, and state and local governments.
