New South Wales Consolidated Acts

ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT ACT 1979 - SECT 115Z

115Z Environmental assessment and public consultation

(1) The proponent is to submit to the Director-General the environmental impact statement required under this Division for approval to carry out the State significant infrastructure.

(2) The Director-General may require the proponent to submit a revised environmental impact statement to address the matters notified to the proponent.

(3) The Director-General must make the environmental impact statement publicly available for at least the minimum exhibition period prescribed by the regulations. The minimum exhibition period prescribed by the regulations must not be less than 30 days.

(4) During that period, any person (including a public authority) may make a written submission to the Director-General concerning the matter.

(5) The Director-General is to provide copies of submissions received by the Director-General or a report of the issues raised in those submissions to:

(a) the proponent, and

(b) if the State significant infrastructure will require an environment protection licence under Chapter 3 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 -the Department responsible to the Minister for the Environment, and

(c) any other public authority the Director-General considers appropriate.

(6) The Director-General may require the proponent to submit to the Director-General:

(a) a response to the issues raised in those submissions, and

(b) a preferred infrastructure report that outlines any proposed changes to the State significant infrastructure to minimise its environmental impact or to deal with any other issue raised during the assessment of the application concerned.

(7) If the Director-General considers that significant changes are proposed to the nature of the State significant infrastructure, the Director-General may make the preferred infrastructure report available to the public.