What Is an Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA), and What Approvals Do I Need?

The concept of an Environmentally Relevant Activity — or ERA — sits at the heart of Queensland's environmental approvals framework. Whether you're a farmer, a manufacturer, a quarry operator, or a resource company, understanding whether your activity is an ERA is the first step to knowing what approvals you need.

Here's what you need to know.

What Is an ERA?

An Environmentally Relevant Activity (ERA) is any activity listed under Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019. The list is broad and spans a wide range of industries. The common thread is that these activities have a recognised potential to cause environmental harm if not properly managed — things like contaminating waterways, generating significant waste, creating air or noise impacts, or disturbing land at scale.

The fact that an activity is classified as an ERA doesn't mean it's inherently harmful. It simply means it needs to be managed within an approved environmental framework.

What Activities Are ERAs?

Schedule 2 is a long list, but some of the more common ERA categories relevant to businesses and operators in South East Queensland include:

Resource and extractive industries

•      Mining activities (coal, minerals, quarrying, extractive resources)

•      Petroleum and gas activities

•      Geothermal energy extraction

Waste and chemicals

•      Waste transfer stations and recycling facilities

•      Waste disposal (landfill, incineration)

•      Chemical storage above certain threshold quantities

•      Regulated waste treatment and disposal

Agriculture and food

•      Intensive animal industries — piggeries, poultry farms, feedlots above set thresholds

•      Aquaculture operations

•      Alcohol production above 200,000 litres per year

•      Abattoirs and meat processing above certain throughput levels

Water and sewage

•      Sewage treatment works

•      Stormwater harvesting above certain volumes

Other industrial activities

•      Concrete batching plants above certain volumes

•      Asphalt manufacturing

•      Electroplating and metal finishing

•      Printing operations above threshold ink volumes

This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Schedule 2 contains dozens of specific ERA categories with defined thresholds — the activity only becomes an ERA once it meets or exceeds the relevant threshold. If you're close to a threshold or unsure whether your activity qualifies, it's worth getting advice rather than assuming either way.

What Approvals Do You Need for an ERA?

The approvals required depend on two key questions: Is your ERA a resource activity or a non-resource activity? And what is the risk level of the specific ERA?

Resource activities

If your ERA is a resource activity — mining, petroleum, gas, geothermal — the primary environmental approval is an Environmental Authority (EA) issued by DETSI under the EP Act. Resource activity EAs can follow either a standard or site-specific pathway depending on the risk level and eligibility criteria.

More complex resource projects may also need to be referred under the Commonwealth's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) if they have the potential to significantly impact matters of national environmental significance — things like threatened species, World Heritage areas, or wetlands of international importance.

Non-resource activities

For most non-resource ERAs — waste, intensive agriculture, manufacturing, food production — the approval pathway generally runs through a Development Application (DA) lodged with your local council. In many cases, the DA also functions as the EA application, so both approvals are assessed together.

The level of assessment required for the DA depends on the ERA's risk level: some low-risk ERAs are self-assessable (no approval needed if you comply with standards), others are code-assessable (assessed against codes), and higher-risk ERAs require impact assessment.

Financial Assurance — Don't Overlook It

If your ERA will result in significantly disturbed land, you may be required to provide financial assurance to the State — a deposit or surety that covers the cost of rehabilitating that land if you fail to do so. This applies most commonly to resource activities but can also apply to some non-resource ERAs with significant land disturbance.

The financial assurance requirement under Queensland's Financial Provisioning Scheme is separate from your EA conditions but is triggered by your ERA classification and the nature of your activity. Underestimating this obligation is a common and costly mistake.

Self-Assessable Codes — A Simpler Pathway for Lower-Risk ERAs

Some ERA categories have a self-assessable code pathway — meaning that if your activity meets all the criteria and standards in the relevant code, you can proceed without a formal application or approval. You simply need to comply with the code requirements and keep records to demonstrate that compliance.

Self-assessable codes are available for certain lower-risk activities in categories like concrete batching, vehicle workshops, and some agricultural activities. If your activity is in the relevant ERA category, it's worth checking whether a code applies before going through a full application process.

What If You're Not Sure Whether Your Activity Is an ERA?

This is more common than you might think. Thresholds in Schedule 2 are specific — sometimes the difference between an ERA and a non-ERA is a matter of production volume, herd size, or storage quantity. And some activities that seem obviously industrial are not ERAs, while others that seem minor are.

The consequences of getting this wrong in either direction are real. Operating an ERA without approval risks significant penalties. Spending time and money on an approval process you didn't need is also a waste. If you're not sure, a short consultation with an environmental advisor can quickly clarify your position.

Key Takeaways

•      An ERA is any activity listed under Schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019

•      ERAs span mining, waste, agriculture, manufacturing, food production, and many other sectors

•      Resource ERAs generally require an Environmental Authority from DETSI

•      Non-resource ERAs generally go through a Development Application with your local council

•      Some ERAs trigger financial assurance obligations — don't overlook this

•      Lower-risk ERAs may qualify for a self-assessable code pathway — no formal approval needed if you meet the standards

•      If you're unsure whether your activity is an ERA, get advice before assuming

Need Help Navigating This?

RiethThink Environmental works with landholders, businesses, and resource companies across South East Queensland to cut through the complexity of Queensland's environmental framework. If you're not sure where you stand, get in touch for a straightforward conversation.

📩 josh@rieththinkenviro.com  |  ☎ (+61) 421 455 232  |  rieththinkenviro.com/contact