Compliance and audit requirements

The Coordinator-General can impose conditions of approval on infrastructure projects to ensure their impacts are properly managed.

These conditions are contained in either the Coordinator-General’s:

  • report on the environmental impact statement for a ‘significant project’, or
  • material change of use approval for a project in a state development area.

Under the State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971, any conditions, requirements or recommendations imposed by the Coordinator-General are legally enforceable.

They apply to anyone who undertakes the project, including the project proponent and the proponent’s agents, contractors, subcontractors or licensees.

The department monitors and enforces compliance with the conditions, on behalf of the Coordinator-General.

Strategic compliance plan

The department’s strategic compliance plan (PDF, 386 KB) outlines its approach to monitoring and enforcing compliance with the conditions of approval.

Compliance unit

The department’s compliance unit:

  • monitors project proponents’ compliance with the conditions of approval
  • ensures non-compliance is addressed appropriately
  • advises the Coordinator-General on the conditioning of approvals, to ensure the conditions are effective and enforceable.

Third-party audits

Project proponents are required to engage an independent and suitably qualified person/s to conduct a third-party audit.

These audits are generally conducted every six to 12 months during the audit period, which can be for the life of the project.

Audit report

An audit report must be submitted to the Coordinator-General, certifying the status of the project conditions. The report must include:

  • findings of the audit
  • any breaches of conditions
  • any corrective actions taken or revised practices to be implemented.

The department reviews the report and recommends to the Coordinator-General any further action that may be required.

Audit guidelines

The department’s audit guidelines (PDF, 149 KB) are intended to help project proponents and their contractors meet the Coordinator-General’s auditing requirements.

The guidelines broadly explain how to:

  • engage an auditor
  • carry out an audit
  • format an audit report.

Compliance measures

The department uses a range of compliance measures to ensure project proponents comply with the Coordinator-General’s conditions of approval for the project.

Non-compliance is addressed through:

  • education, and/or
  • remediation, and/or
  • enforcement actions.