2025-27 Environment Compliance and Enforcement Priorities

Closing soon. Don't miss out!

Your voice matters. Have your say on how we administer Australia’s national environmental protection laws as we strive for continuous improvement. Complete this survey to help shape our priorities and inform how we provide our services and conduct our activities.

The survey will be open until 11:59pm AEST Wednesday, 30 September 2026. If you have any questions, please contact: surveyhelp@nationalepa.gov.au

We will deliver our priorities by applying a proportionate response. This allows us to assess how a regulated entity engages with their obligations and respond accordingly.

We will use the full range of tools available to us, including:

  • Stakeholder engagement and education. This ensures regulated entities understand their obligations and are able to comply.
  • Monitoring and audits. We use these to verify compliance and collect information and data.
  • Intelligence assessments. We proactively analyse trends and address threats and vulnerabilities.
  • Administrative actions, varying, suspending, or revoking a permission held by a regulated entity. We only employ these in response to non-compliance or emerging risk.
  • Civil and criminal sanctions. We only undertake these actions in response to serious non-compliance.

We will support compliant behaviour and take regulatory action in response to non-compliance. We consider a range of factors. This includes the:

  • associated harm of the activity
  • seriousness of the contravention
  • apparent intent of the regulated entity
  • compliance history
  • frequency of the issue occurring.

When we identify serious, deliberate, or repeated non-compliance, we will apply the full force of the law.

We will work collaboratively and in partnership with:

  • First Nations people
  • communities
  • regions
  • industry
  • states and territories
  • other government departments
  • international partners.

Our priorities are not an exhaustive list of all our regulatory activities. Issues regularly arise that need immediate attention. We conduct responsive regulatory activities when necessary.

2025-27 priorities

Drawing of a tractor

Unreferred land clearing requiring approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). We will focus on agricultural clearing that has a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance.

 

Drawing of magnifying glass

Breaches of EPBC Act approval conditions. We will focus on impacts to threatened species, ecological communities, and heritage places and properties.

 

Drawing of leaves

Offsets under the EPBC Act. We will focus on offsets being secured and managed in accordance with their approval conditions.

 

Drawing of a tick

Unlawful waste exports and emissions from ozone depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases. We will focus on non-compliant operators in the recycling industry.

 

Drawing of a police officer

Illegal wildlife trade. We will focus on dismantling wildlife trafficking networks and working with partners to remove the financial gains made from this crime.

 

Reporting non-compliance

To report a concern or allegation of non-compliance, contact the Compliance and Enforcement Branch at:

Find out more about reporting breaches of environmental law:

Report a breach

Read more

We aren't able to respond to your individual comments or questions.
To contact us directly phone us or submit an online inquiry.

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

© National Environmental Protection Agency