Activities suitable for standard applications

ERA standards, which include eligibility criteria and standard conditions, have been developed for low risk activities. A standard application process applies. Activities that have an ERA standard are listed below.

If your activity is on the list, you should check that you can meet the eligibility criteria, and comply with the activity's standard conditions.

Note: The ERA standards refer to the Environmental Protection Regulation 2008, which was repealed and replaced by the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 on 1 September 2019. A reference to the repealed regulation or a repealed provision in the ERA Standards should be read as a reference to the replacement regulation or the corresponding provision in the replacement regulation.

Prescribed ERAs with an ERA standard

• ERA 2(1)(a) – Intensive animal feedlotting >150 to 1000 standard cattle units (ESR/2015/1570) (PDF, 64KB)
• ERA 2(2)(a) – Intensive animal feedlotting >1000 to 10,000 standard sheep units (ESR/2015/1701) (PDF, 64KB)
• ERA 3(1) – Keeping >400 to 3500 standard pig units (ESR/2015/1707) (PDF, 64KB)
• ERA 4(1) – Poultry farming >1000 to 200,000 birds (ESR/2015/1706) (PDF, 64KB)
• ERA 7(1) – Chemical manufacturing >200 cubic metres of water based paint in a year (ESR/2015/1697) (PDF, 62KB)
• ERA 7(3)(a) – Chemical manufacturing >200 tonnes of soap, surfactants or cleaning or toiletry products in a year (ESR/2015/1700) (PDF, 63KB)
• ERA 13(2) – Retreading tyres (ESR/2015/1705) (PDF, 62KB)
• ERA 13A - Commercial cropping and horticulture in Great Barrier Reef catchments (Version 1) (ESR/2020/5277) (PDF, 405KB)
• ERA 16(2)(a) – Extracting 5000 to 100,000 tonnes of material in a year (ESR/2015/1711) (PDF, 68KB)
• ERA 16(3)(a) – Screening 5000 to 100,000 tonnes of material in a year (ESR/2015/1704) (PDF, 66KB)
• ERA 16(3)(b) – Screening >100,000 to 1 million tonnes of material in a year (ESR/2015/1703) (PDF, 64KB)
• ERA 16(3)(c) – Screening > 1 million tonnes of material in a year (ESR/2015/1702) (PDF, 66KB)
• ERA 23 – Bottling or canning 200 tonnes or more of food in a year (ESR/2015/1713) (PDF, 66KB)
• ERA 25(1)(a) – Meat processing, not including rendering, 1000 to 5000 tonnes of meat or meat products in a year (ESR/2015/1714) (PDF, 66KB)
• ERA 25(2)(a) – Meat processing, including rendering, 1000 to 5000 tonnes of meat or meat products in a year (ESR/2015/1712) (PDF, 67KB)
• ERA 26 – Milk processing (ESR/2015/1708) (PDF, 65KB)
• ERA 29(2) – Metal foundry, producing 50 tonnes or more of non-ferrous metal castings using permanent moulds in a year (ESR/2015/1709) (PDF, 64KB)
• ERA 38(2) – Surface coating, painting or powder coating using >100 tonnes of surface coating materials in a year (ESR/2015/1699) (PDF, 62KB)
• ERA 57 - Regulated waste transport (ESR/2018/4202) (PDF, 88KB)
• ERA 63(1)(a)(i) – Sewage treatment works with total daily peak design capacity of 21 to 100 equivalent persons if treated effluent is discharged through an irrigation scheme (ESR/2015/1710) (PDF, 67KB)
• ERA 63(2) – Sewage pump station (ESR/2015/1669) (PDF, 91KB) – Note: This ERA Standard refers to ERA 63(3) for sewage pump station. On 31 March 2013, ERA 63 was amended and ERA 63(3) became ERA 63(2).

Mining resource activities with an ERA standard

• Exploration and mineral development projects (ESR/2016/1985) (PDF, 781KB)
• Mining claims and prospecting permits (ESR/2016/2242) (PDF, 760KB)
• Mining lease projects (ESR/2016/2241) (PDF, 856KB)

Non-mining resource activities with an ERA standard

• Petroleum exploration activities (ESR/2016/2386) (PDF, 668KB)
• Petroleum survey activities (ESR/2016/2387) (PDF, 414KB)
• Petroleum pipeline activities (ESR/2016/2388) (PDF, 558KB)
• Geothermal exploration activities (ESR/2016/2389) (PDF, 594KB)

Also consider...

• Find out how to comply with an EA.
• Learn how to change, combine or transfer an EA.
• Find out how to surrender or suspend an EA.
• Read how the Department of Environment and Science (now the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation) developed the eligibility criteria and standard conditions for petroleum exploration, petroleum survey, petroleum pipeline and geothermal exploration activities (ESR/2016/2440) (PDF, 184KB), including a summary of submissions received and responses to issues raised.