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PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONS ACT 1997 - SCHEDULE 5

SCHEDULE 5 – Savings, transitional and other provisions

(Section 326)

Part 1 - Preliminary

1 Definition

In this Schedule:
"commencement of this Act" means, if this Act commences on different days, the day on which the relevant provision of this Act commences.

2 Regulations

(1) The regulations may contain provisions of a savings or transitional nature consequent on the enactment of the following Acts:
this Act
Pesticides Act 1999
Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Littering) Act 2000
Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Tradeable Emission Schemes) Act 2000
Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001
Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2002 (but only to the extent to which it amends this Act or regulations under this Act)
Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment Act 2005 -to the extent it amends this Act
Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2011 -to the extent it amends this Act
(2) Any such provision may, if the regulations so provide, take effect from the date of assent to the Act concerned or a later day.
(3) To the extent to which any such provision takes effect from a date that is earlier than the date of its publication in the Gazette, the provision does not operate so as:
(a) to affect, in a manner prejudicial to any person (other than the State or an authority of the State), the rights of that person existing before the date of its publication, or
(b) to impose liabilities on any person (other than the State or an authority of the State) in respect of anything done or omitted to be done before the date of its publication.

Part 2 - Provisions relating to protection of the environment policies

3 Application to previous impacts on environment

A protection of the environment policy extends (subject to the terms of the policy) to impacts on the environment caused before the commencement of this Act.

Part 3 - Provisions relating to environment protection licences

4 Licences

A licence issued under any Act, or provision of any Act, repealed by this Act is taken to be a licence issued under this Act, subject to the regulations under this Schedule.

5 Applications for licences or other approvals

An application for or in respect of a licence or other approval under any Act, or provision of any Act, repealed by this Act is taken to be an application for or in respect of a corresponding licence or other approval under this Act, subject to the regulations under this Schedule.

7 Review of existing licences

For the purposes of section 78, the first review under this Act of a licence that is in force on the commencement of that section is to be undertaken (subject to the regulations under this Schedule) within 3 years after that commencement.

Part 4 - Provisions relating to environment protection notices

8 Notices may be issued with respect to previous activities

An environment protection notice may be issued:

(a) in the case of a clean-up notice-for pollution incidents occurring before as well as after the commencement of this Act, or
(b) in the case of a prevention notice-for activities carried on before as well as after the commencement of this Act, or
(c) in the case of prohibition notices-for the emission or discharge of pollutants after the commencement of this Act.

Part 5 - Provisions relating to investigation

9 Authorised officers

A person appointed or authorised as an authorised officer under an Act or provision of an Act repealed by this Act and holding office on that repeal is taken to be appointed as an authorised officer under this Act, subject to the regulations under this Schedule.

Part 6 - Provisions relating to criminal and other proceedings

10 Previous offences

The regulations under this Schedule may extend Chapter 8 (with modifications, if any) to proceedings in connection with any Act or regulation repealed by this Act (in respect of offences committed against the Act or regulation before its repeal or in respect of any other matter that continues to have any force or effect). Those regulations may also make provision for the continued operation of any such repealed Act or regulation to those proceedings. In this clause, a reference to a repealed Act or regulation includes a reference to a repealed provision of an Act or regulation.

Part 7 - General

11 Saving of existing regulations and regulation-making powers

(1) A regulation made under an Act repealed by this Act is, on that repeal, taken to be a regulation made under this Act to the extent that it may be made under this Act.
(2) For the purposes of Part 3 of the Subordinate Legislation Act 1989 , any such regulation made under the Clean Waters Act 1970 or the Pollution Control Act 1970 is taken to have been published on the repeal of that Act.
(3) Until the end of the period of 3 years after the repeal of any Act by this Act, regulations may be made under this Act for or with respect to any matter that could have been prescribed by regulations under that Act (but for its repeal).
(4) In this clause, a reference to the repeal of an Act by this Act includes a reference to the repeal of a provision of the Waste Minimisation and Management Act 1995 by this Act.

12 Transitional arrangements pending commencement of integrated development amendments to Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979

(1) This clause applies only if the substitution of Part 4 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (the EPA Act) by Schedule 1 to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment Act 1997 has not commenced before the commencement of this Act, and so applies only until the commencement of the Schedule.
(2) The consent authority under the EPA Act must forward a copy of a development application referred to in section 77 (3) of the EPA Act (and the documents that accompany the application) to the EPA, within 7 days of receiving the application, if the application is in respect of a scheduled activity.
(3) The EPA is required to inform the consent authority under the EPA Act of the following within 30 days after receiving the copy of that development application:
(a) advice on the environment protection issues raised by the development application,
(b) advice on whether an application for an environment protection licence for the scheduled activity concerned is likely to be granted or refused.
Advice referred to in paragraph (b) need not be given if the EPA has insufficient information or time available to provide that advice.
(4) The consent authority is required to take any such advice into consideration when determining the development application concerned.
(5) The consent authority under the EPA Act must, at the time referred to in section 87 of that Act, also forward copies of the submissions referred to in that section to the EPA if the application for development consent is in respect of a scheduled activity.

13 Existing notices, exemptions etc

A notice, direction, order, requirement or exemption given, issued or made under an Act, or a provision of an Act, repealed by this Act and in force on that repeal continues to have effect to the extent provided by the regulations under this Schedule.

14 General saving

Any thing done under an Act or a provision of an Act repealed by this Act that has any force or effect immediately before its repeal is taken to have been done under the corresponding provision of this Act, subject to any express or implied provision to the contrary in this Act or the regulations made under this Act.

Part 8 - Provisions consequent on enactment of Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Littering) Act 2000

15 EPA ceasing to be appropriate regulatory authority in relation to certain premises

(1) A notice, direction or requirement that:
(a) was made, issued or given under this Act by the EPA in its capacity as appropriate regulatory authority because of section 6 (2) (c) as in force before the commencement of the amendment to section 6 (2) made by the Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Littering) Act 2000 (or by an authorised officer of the EPA), and
(b) was made, issued or given under this Act before that commencement, and
(c) is in force on that commencement, and
(d) is not excluded from the operation of this clause by the regulations,
continues to have effect for the purposes of this Act.
(2) Any such notice, direction or requirement may be dealt with and enforced in accordance with this Act as in force before that commencement, as if the EPA were still the appropriate regulatory authority.
(3) A compliance cost notice may be given, dealt with and enforced after that commencement in connection with any such notice, direction or requirement, as if the EPA were still the appropriate regulatory authority.

16 Local authority as appropriate regulatory authority in relation to certain premises

(1) A notice, direction or requirement that:
(a) purported to have been made, issued or given under this Act by a local authority as appropriate regulatory authority before the commencement of the amendment to section 6 (2) made by the Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Littering) Act 2000 (or by an authorised officer of the local authority), and
(b) was not validly made, issued or given, but would have been validly made, issued or given had that amendment been in force when it purported to have been made, issued or given, and
(c) is not excluded from the operation of this clause by the regulations,
is taken to have been validly made, issued or given under this Act at the time at which it purported to have been made, issued or given and to be valid at all relevant times since.
(2) Any such notice, direction or requirement may be dealt with and enforced in accordance with this Act, as if the local authority had always been the appropriate regulatory authority.
(3) A compliance cost notice may be given, dealt with and enforced after that commencement in connection with any such notice, direction or requirement, as if the local authority had always been the appropriate regulatory authority.
(4) Any proceedings purporting to be instituted by a local authority (or by an officer or employee of the local authority) before the commencement of the amendments to sections 6 (2) and 218 (6) made by the Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Littering) Act 2000 for an offence committed in relation to premises occupied by the State or by a public authority are taken to have been validly instituted.

Part 9 - Provisions consequent on enactment of Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Tradeable Emission Schemes) Act 2000

17 Compensation provisions

Section 293 (6) continues to apply in respect of any loss incurred before the repeal of that subsection by the Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Tradeable Emission Schemes) Act 2000 , as if that subsection had not been repealed by that Act.

Part 10 - Provisions consequent on enactment of Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2002

18 Definition

In this Part:
"2002 amending Act" means the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Act 2002 .

19 Pollution incidents

(1) Section 66 (2A), as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, applies to information provided under a licence condition before its commencement.
(2) A licence condition of a kind referred to in section 66 (2A), as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, being a condition imposed before the commencement of section 66 (2A), is, for the purposes of section 66, taken to have been imposed under section 66 (2A).

20 Applications to surrender licences

Section 80, and the definition of "licence application" in the Dictionary, as amended by the 2002 amending Act, do not apply to or in respect of any application for the approval of the surrender of a licence made before the commencement of this clause.

21 Identification cards for enforcement officers

(1) Section 189, as amended by the 2002 amending Act, does not apply to an enforcement officer or the authority that appointed the enforcement officer for a period of 6 months commencing on the commencement of the amendment.
(2) It is sufficient compliance with section 189 (2), as amended by the 2002 amending Act, if an enforcement officer (acting in the capacity of an enforcement officer) who was, immediately before the commencement of the amendment of that section by the 2002 amending Act, an authorised officer produces the person’s identification card as an authorised officer.

22 Mistaken exercise of power

Sections 212C and 212D, as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, apply to or in respect of a function exercised by an authority or an authorised officer before those sections commenced except where the exercise of the function relates to an offence for which proceedings commenced before that commencement.

23 Proceedings with leave of Land and Environment Court

The provisions of section 219 (1A) and (1B), as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, do not apply to or in respect of an offence arising out of an act or omission that occurred before the commencement of those provisions if proceedings for the offence are commenced before that commencement.

24 Continuing offences

Section 242, as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, applies to or in respect of an offence arising out of a contravention of a requirement made before the commencement of that section if proceedings for the offence are commenced on or after that commencement.

25 Appeals

The provisions of section 287 (3)-(6), as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, do not apply to or in respect of licence applications made before the commencement of those provisions.

26 Notices given by authorities

Section 319A, as inserted by the 2002 amending Act, does not apply to or in respect of a notice issued before the commencement of that section.

Part 11 - Provisions consequent on enactment of Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004

27 Surrender of licences

Fees relating to any surrendered licence (including a licence that was surrendered before the repeal of section 80 (3) by the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004 ) may be refunded or waived in accordance with this Act and the regulations.

Part 12 - Provisions consequent on enactment of Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment Act 2005

28 Definition

In this Part:
"amending Act" means the Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment Act 2005 .

29 Review of licences

(1) This clause applies to licences in force at the commencement of the amendment to section 78 (1) by the amending Act, being licences that had been reviewed under that section before that commencement.
(2) A licence is to be reviewed under section 78 not later than 5 years after the date of the last review before that commencement and, after that, at intervals not exceeding 5 years after each review.

30 Appeals

Sections 84 (2), 86 (2), 99 (1), 267 (1) and 271 (1), as substituted by the amending Act, and sections 86 (2A), 287 (1A), 288 (2), 289 (1A) and 290 (1A), as inserted by the amending Act, apply only to appeals in respect of which a decision was made, a notice was issued or an order was made after the commencement of those subsections.

31 Recovery of costs

(1) Section 107 (8), as inserted by the amending Act, applies only where a compliance cost notice is issued after the commencement of that subsection (whether or not the compliance cost notice relates to costs and expenses incurred before that commencement).
(2) Section 237A, as inserted by the amending Act, applies only where the restraining order to which the charge relates was made after the commencement of that section (whether or not the restraining order relates to proceedings commenced before that commencement).
(3) Section 237B, as inserted by the amending Act, applies only where the restraining order to which the caveat relates was made after the commencement of that section (whether or not the restraining order relates to proceedings commenced before that commencement).
(4) Sections 267A and 267B, as inserted by the amending Act, apply only where the noise control notice is issued after the commencement of those sections.

32 Proceedings instituted by agents

Any proceedings instituted under section 217 or 218 by an agent of, or a person appointed by, an appropriate regulatory authority or any other authority or person before the commencement of section 218A are as valid as they would have been if instituted after that commencement.

33 Continuing licence conditions

Section 319A, as amended by the amending Act, extends to conditions of a licence in force on the commencement of the amendments.

34 Existing licence conditions

Section 323 (5A), as inserted by the amending Act, extends to a condition that was attached to a licence before the commencement of that subsection.

Part 13 - Provisions consequent on enactment of Protection of the Environment Legislation Amendment Act 2011

35 Obligation to publish results of monitoring

(1) Subject to subclause (2), the obligation under section 66 (6) to publish results of monitoring does not apply to any monitoring conducted before the commencement of that subsection.
(2) A person who held an environment protection licence immediately before the commencement of section 66 (6) does not commit an offence under that subsection during the first 3 months after that commencement.

36 Duties to prepare and implement pollution incident response management plans

A person who held an environment protection licence immediately before the commencement of Part 5.7A does not commit an offence under that Part during the first 6 months after that commencement.

37 Obligation to include matter on register

The obligation to include matter on the public register:

(a) created by section 308 (2) (d1) applies only to mandatory environmental audits undertaken after the commencement of that paragraph, and
(b) created by section 308 (2) (d2) applies only to pollution studies undertaken after the commencement of that paragraph, and
(c) created by section 308 (2) (d3) applies only to pollution reduction programs undertaken after the commencement of that paragraph, and
(d) created by section 308 (2) (j1) applies only to penalty notices issued after the commencement of that paragraph.



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