NOTICE OF EXemption from a provision of part 3 (EPBC Act section 158(7))
Exemption under section 158 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)
I, Sussan Ley, Minister for the Environment, acting under section 158 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (EPBC Act) and being satisfied that it is in the national interest to do so, exempt the State of South Australia, the agencies of the State and those acting on behalf of the State or the agencies of the State, from the application of all of the provisions of Part 3 (other than sections 21, 22A, 24B, 24C, 24D, 24E, 27B and 27C) of the EPBC Act, in relation to the following action:
The taking of firefighting activities, fire prevention activities and fire recovery activities in South Australia in response to any bushfires that occur or have occurred during the 2019/2020 bushfire season.
In this notice:
firefighting activities means emergency actions taken to prevent bushfires damaging life, property or matters of national environmental significance.
fire prevention activities means urgent preventative actions taken to prevent the spread or reduce the severity of fires. This includes back burning, clearance of vegetation and building of fire breaks.
fire recovery activities means urgent actions taken in the recovery from damage from bushfires. This includes clearance of vegetation that has been damaged as a result of bushfires, and urgent repair or replacement of essential infrastructure damaged by bushfire.
agencies of the State has the meaning given by section 528 of the EPBC Act.
This exemption takes effect on the date of this notice.
SIGNED
__________________________________________________
Minister for the Environment
Dated the 14th day of January 2020
A copy of the Minister’s statement of reasons for this decision is publicly available at the following internet address: http://epbcnotices.environment.gov.au/exemptionnotices/