Overview

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was enacted by the Australian Parliament to address the pressing need for comprehensive environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. The Act provides a framework for the protection of the environment, including natural, cultural, and heritage values, by regulating activities that have, or are likely to have, a significant impact on the environment. This includes providing mechanisms for the assessment and approval of activities, the establishment of protected areas, and the conservation of threatened species and ecological communities. The Act aims to promote sustainable development and the wise use of natural resources, while also ensuring that environmental considerations are integrated into decision-making processes. The Director of National Parks and the Kakadu Board of Management have issued a notice inviting comments on the proposal to prepare a draft management plan for Kakadu National Park. The new management plan will guide the management of the park for the next ten years, replacing the current plan which expires on 5 January 2026. Comments will inform the preparation of the draft management plan, which will be made available for further comment before finalisation. Submissions must be received no later than 11:59 PM AEST on 31 July 2025 and should be submitted through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Have Your Say Portal. Personal information provided in submissions will be collected and used in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Archives Act 1983 (Cth). Submissions will not be published or made publicly available, but may be used and disclosed as described in the privacy notice.

Scope and Application

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) governs the preparation of a new management plan for Kakadu National Park, inviting interested parties and the public to provide suggestions on the future management of the park. This Act applies to individuals, entities, and industries within the Commonwealth of Australia, particularly those that may have a stake in or impact on the management and conservation of Kakadu National Park. The scope of the Act ensures that the management plan, once finalised, will guide the park's management for a decade, replacing the current plan which expires on 5 January 2026. The invitation for comments underscores the collaborative approach in drafting the plan, with the draft to be made available for further public input before finalisation. Submissions must be received by 11:59 PM AEST on 31 July 2025, through the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water's Have Your Say Portal. The Act also outlines the privacy considerations, detailing how personal information provided in submissions will be collected, used, and disclosed, ensuring compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other relevant legislation. Submissions can be made anonymously, though this limits the ability of the Director of National Parks to contact the submitter for further information or clarification.

Key Provisions

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) (subsection 368(2)) mandates that the Director of National Parks, in conjunction with the Kakadu Board of Management, commence drafting a new management plan for Kakadu National Park. The Act invites the public and interested parties to contribute to the discussion on how the park should be managed in the future. This new management plan, once finalised, will serve as the guiding document for the park’s management for the next ten years, succeeding the current plan which expires on 5 January 2026. Comments submitted by the public will be taken into consideration when preparing the draft management plan, which will also be open to further public feedback in line with subsection 368(5) of the EPBC Act prior to finalisation. The Act imposes specific obligations on the parties involved, primarily the Director of National Parks and the Kakadu Board of Management, to initiate and oversee the drafting of the management plan. It also requires that the public be given an opportunity to provide feedback and suggestions on the management plan, ensuring that the process is inclusive and transparent. Additionally, the Act mandates that all comments be submitted by 11:59 PM AEST on 31 July 2025, via the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Have Your Say Portal at: https://consult.dcceew.gov.au/. Submissions made after this deadline will not be considered. The Act also includes provisions for the collection and use of personal information from those submitting comments, requiring compliance with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Archives Act 1983 (Cth). Failure to comply with the requirements of the EPBC Act can result in various consequences, though the specific offences, penalties, or consequences for breach are not detailed in the notice. However, it is noted that submissions containing potentially offensive, defamatory, or irrelevant material may be disregarded or not published. Anonymous submissions can be made, but the ability to follow up on the submission or consider it in depth may be limited. For more information on how personal information is handled, access, correction, and complaints, the Director of National Parks’ Privacy Policy and the Converlens Privacy Policy are available at https://www.dcceew.gov.au/parks-heritage/national-parks/parks-australia/privacy-policy and https://converlens.com/privacy.html, respectively. Any queries regarding this privacy notice can be directed through the Contact Us link on the department’s website at: https://parksaustralia.gov.au/about/contact-us/.