Higher Penalties for Pollution and Pesticide Misuse
Environment Protection Legislation Amendment (Stronger Regulation and Penalties) Bill 2024
1st House
2nd House
Law
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
Fines go up for people who wilfully or negligently use pesticides to cause injury or damage
Corporations face a $4 million maximum penalty for polluting land; this rises by $50,000 if asbestos waste is involved
Penalty notice amounts increase for various environmental offences; second or subsequent offences under section 124 now cost $45,000
The Authority can issue preliminary investigation notices to people or companies if it suspects a risk to human health or the environment
Authorised officers can direct a person to remove waste they deposited in a public place
The Authority can now use analyst certificates and approved photographs as evidence in court
The Authority can exempt people from specific parts of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act
The Authority has new factors to consider when deciding if a person is fit and proper to hold a licence