Environment Protection Legislation Amendment (Chain of Responsibility) Bill 2022

Issued 18 Oct 2022

The Environment Protection Legislation Amendment (Chain of Responsibility) Bill 2022 was introduced to the Legislative Assembly last week during the October 2022 parliamentary sittings.

The Bill’s amendments to the Environment Protection Act 2019 will establish an environmental chain of responsibility framework for onshore petroleum activities. This is in response to recommendation 14.30 of the Scientific Inquiry into Hydraulic Fracturing in the Northern Territory, which states that prior to the grant of any further production approvals, the Government enacts provisions establishing a chain of responsibility for gas companies and related parties to ensure compliance with environmental obligations.

The Bill is available on the Government’s Legislation database website and will be debated in the November 2022 parliamentary sittings.

Introduction of the amendment Bill last week follows a number of stakeholder engagement processes, including consultation on an information paper in 2021 and an Exposure Draft of the amendment Bill earlier this year.

Thank you to all stakeholders that have constructively contributed to the development of these laws.

Copies of the stakeholder submissions received on the Exposure Draft of the Bill, including a summary of outcomes arising from the consultation, are available to view on the Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security website.