Compliance and enforcement

As Queensland’s environmental regulator, we:

• regulate industries and hold polluters to account to make sure they meet their environmental obligations and community expectations
• manage and monitor environmental performance through a range of assessment, compliance, investigation, enforcement and education activities
• enforce environmental and heritage protection laws to prevent pollution and safeguard our communities, lifestyle and unique environment.

To help build a culture of improved voluntary compliance within industry and improve compliance practices, we publish guidance material and supporting information to help industry understand how to meet their environmental obligations and achieve good environmental practices.

Our work is primarily governed by the Environmental Protection Act 1994, the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 and the Coastal Protection and Management Act 1995.

Compliance operations

We undertake compliance programs and proactive inspections to monitor environmental performance. Where poor performance or non-compliance is detected, we will take appropriate and proportionate compliance action, which can range from education to enforcement.

People or operators who choose not to comply with their obligations should expect prompt and strong enforcement action. Where enforcement is required, we will use statutory notices to address environmental harm and will apply penalties to punish environmental crime.

Compliance programs are conducted in four key streams:

• Proactive Inspection Program
• Responsive Compliance Program
• Enduring Compliance Programs
• Focused Compliance Programs.

Proactive Inspection Program

We undertake proactive inspections to monitor the environmental performance of environmental authority holders. Our local Compliance Centres prioritise inspections to direct resources towards operators that pose the most risk.

Inspections do not always identify non-compliance as many operators do the right thing by meeting their environmental obligations; however, where non-compliance is detected, we will apply an appropriate and proportionate enforcement response.

Responsive Compliance Program

We respond to notifications of alleged or potential non-compliance and environmental incidents. Our team assesses all notifications and prioritises them to determine the most appropriate response. Notifications are received from different types of sources, including community members, other government agencies, industry bodies and operators.

Response to these notifications is proportionate, with some managed administratively, while others are referred to local Compliance Centres for action. Notifications of major pollution events may also be escalated to our 24/7 incident response capability.

Enduring Compliance Programs

Our long-term compliance programs target significant risks to the environment and the community.

Reef Compliance Program

We are part of a united effort to protect and preserve the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef (GBR).

Our work with producers helps improve water quality by reducing land-based water pollution flowing to the GBR – one of the major threats to this unique ecosystem.

We are on the ground working with sugarcane, banana and beef cattle grazing producers, and those involved in new or expanded commercial horticulture and cropping activities, to identify the improvements needed and support the transition to better practices that comply with the Reef protection regulations.

Our work ensures that practices are implemented and maintained to minimise sediment and nutrient loss from properties to waterways. This includes practices to monitor and maintain ground cover in the grazing industry, and practices to only apply fertiliser in accordance with good agronomic principles for the sugarcane and banana industries.

We also support producers by providing information for them to connect to a network of experts, programs, information, funding and grants to help them implement practices which support farm sustainability, productivity and profitability, whilst also reducing impacts on GBR catchment water quality.

Waste Compliance Program

Poor waste management practices can result in environmental harm as well as have a significant impact on communities, particularly in the form of odour issues. Additionally, waste levy avoidance and fraudulent activities can incentivise waste crime and undermine the waste levy framework.

As a result of these risks, we have dedicated resources that detect waste management and levy offences. Activities include inspections at licensed waste facilities, transaction audits and conducting volumetric surveys of waste stockpiles. Community reports to our Pollution Hotline also play an important role in identifying issues and trends.

Unlicensed Waste Program

The Unlicensed Waste Program targets operators who undertake waste management environmentally relevant activities without a current environmental authority. Inspections of these unregulated activities have revealed poor environmental practices and inadequate implementation of risk controls.

This program includes dedicated resources to identify unlicensed operators and utilise appropriate enforcement tools to prevent further non-compliance and disincentivise others from adopting a similar practice.

High Risk Weather Season Preparedness Program

Queensland experiences significant weather events from October to April each year. Some industries regulated under environmental authorities, such as large mines, quarries and waste facilities pose a risk to the environment and communities if operators do not take precautionary measures to prepare for significant weather events.

We undertake compliance-related communication, education, engagement and field inspections within the resource sector and other high-risk operators to ensure that appropriate precautionary measures are taken.

Focused Compliance Programs

In addition to responding to notifications and delivering our enduring programs, we also conduct Focused Compliance Programs, which are designed to address a specific issue or emerging risk associated with an activity or across a geographic area or industry sector. While it may take considerable time to deal with the issue, these programs are generally time-bound and resourced accordingly.

Swanbank Compliance Program

We have a dedicated team delivering an intensive compliance program in response to the significant community reports of odour nuisance near industrial areas at Swanbank and New Chum. Read more about the Swanbank program.

Completed Focused Compliance Programs include:

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