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Environmental impact statement (EIS)
If a ‘significant project’ has the potential to cause environmental, social or economic impacts, the project proponent must prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS).
The EIS is prepared in accordance with:
- the terms of reference for the EIS
- generic guideline for preparing an EIS (PDF, 51 kB).
Outline of EIS
The EIS describes the:
- existing environment
- project’s environmental impacts
- ways of avoiding, mitigating or offsetting these impacts.
The impacts include direct, indirect and cumulative impacts resulting from the construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of the project.
The EIS typically involves studies to establish the qualities of the existing environment (natural, social, economic and built) and determine the project’s potential impacts on the environment; and community consultation.
The EIS must provide sufficient enough information to enable the Coordinator-General to come to an informed view on the project’s potential impacts and ways of managing those impacts.
Social impact assessment
The EIS includes a social impact assessment.
Matters of national environmental significance
If the project is a ‘controlled action’, the EIS document will contain a separate section regarding the project’s impacts on matters of national environmental significance.
It is this section the Australian Government environment minister considers when deciding whether or not to approve the ‘controlled action’.
Sunset provision
An EIS must be lodged to the satisfaction of the Coordinator-General within two years of the terms of reference for the EIS being finalised, unless an extension is granted by the Coordinator-General. Otherwise, the ‘significant project’ declaration lapses.
