An evaluation of compliance and enforcement mechanisms in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) and their application by the Commonwealth

Environmental and Planning Law Journal

Volumn 27, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 98-111

  Lipman, Zada ^a  

^a MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 79960078752     PISSN: 0813300X     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (117)

1. Australian National Audit Office, Referrals, Assessments and Approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Consenation Act 1999 (Cth) (Report No 38 of 2002-2003).
2. Australian National Audit Office Report, The Conservation and Protection of National Threatened Species (No 31 of 2006-2007).
3. The action refers to Minister for the Environment v Grcentrce (No 2) (2004) 138 FCR 198;
4. Minister for the Environment v Greentree (No 3) (2004) 136 LGERA 89 (Greentree case) discussed below.
5. See Environment and Heritage Legislation Amendment Act (No I) 2006 (Cth) effective 19 February 2007.
6. Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), Report of the Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Australian Government, October 2009) (Hawke Report), http://www.environment.gov. au/epbc/review/publicalions/final-reDort.html viewed 3 February 2010.
7. Hawke Report, n 4, Terms of Reference, p 4.
8. Hawke Report, n 4, p 2.
9. Specifically, the recommendations in the Hawke Report, n 4, Ch 16: Compliance and Enforcement, Monitoring and Audit.
10. DEWHA, Compliance and Enforcement Policy (Australian Government, 2009), http://www.environment.eov.au/about/puhlications/pubs/compliance-enforcement- policv.pdf viewed 3 February 2010.
11. DEWHA, Compliance and Enforcement Policy (Australian Government, 2004).
12. l0 Ayrcs I and Braithwaite J, Responsive Regulation: Transcending the Deregulation Debate (Oxford University Press, 1992).
13. Braithwaite J, "Rewards and Regulation" (2002) 29 (1) Journal of Law and Society 12 at 20.
14. Australian Law Reform Commission, Review of Civil and Administrative Penalties in Federal Jurisdiction (Background Paper 7, Australian Government, 2001).
15. Brown D, Farrier D, Egger S, McNamara L and Steel A, Criminal Laws (4th ed, Federation Press, 2006) p 411.
16. I4 DEWHA, n8 at [4].
17. DEWHA, n8 at [7].
18. Hawke Report, n 4, Recommendation 54, p 269.
19. Hawke Report, n 4, Recommendation 55, p 270.
20. Hawke Report, n 4, rtRecommendation 60, p 278.
21. DEWHA, n8, p 9.
22. Hawke Report, n 4, p 276.
23. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ps 480D.
24. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ps 480E (2).
25. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ps 480K.
26. Garrett P, Minister Orders Repair Works at Clarkes Cove (media release, Australian Government, 10 February 2008).
27. This is in marked contrast to the situation in the Minister for the Environment v Greentree (No 2) [2004] 138 FCR 198;
28. Minister for the Environment v Greentree (No 3) (2004) 136 LGERA 89 (Greentree case, discussed below).
29. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 486DA.
30. DEWHA, Landowner Payout for Stripeless Lizard (media release, Australian Government, 10 September 2008), http://www.environment.eov. au/aBout/media/dent- mr/index.html viewed 3 February 2010.
31. DEWHA, State Corporation Payout after Protected Species Destroyed (media release, Australian Government, 24 July 2009), http://www.environment.gov. au/ahout/media/dept-mr/index.html viewed 3 February 2010.
32. See DEWHA, n 28; DEWHA, n 29.
33. DEWHA, Independent Review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Interim Report, Australian Government, June 2009) p 330 iting Submission 189
34. The Australian Network of Environmental Defender's Offices, p 15, http://www.cnvironment.gov. au/ephc/review/puhlications/interim-report.html viewed 3 February 2010.
35. See eg Environment Protection Act 1993 (SA), s 93;
36. Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Qld), s 358.
37. Hawke Report, n 4, p 274.
38. Hawke Report, n 4, Recommendation 58, p 275.
39. is Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 458.
40. Australian National Audit Office, n 2.
41. Hawke Report, n 4, Recommendation 61, 280.
42. See eg Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Clh), ss 18(3), 16 (1).
43. For example. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ss 12 (1) (World Heritage), 15B (National Heritage).
44. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ss 26(activities involving Commonwealth land), 27B
45. (Commonwealth Heritage Places overseas), 28 (Commonwealth actions).
46. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 77A.
47. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 142.
48. DEWHA, n 8 at [7.2].
49. Coffee J, "Paradigms Lost: The Blurring of the Criminal and Civil Law Models - And What Can Be Done About It" (1992) 101 (5) Yale Law Journal 1875 at 1876.
50. Minister for the Environment v Rocky Lamattina and Sons Ply Ltd (2009) 167 LGERA 219 (penalty $220, 000).
51. Other actions have involved relatively small penalties. For example, $25, 000 (Minister for Environment and Heritage v Wame [2007] FCA 599) and $12, 000
52. (Minister for the Environment and Heritage v Wilson (2004) 134 FCR 413).
53. Both of these cases involved a breach of s 354 (1) (illegal fishing)
54. of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth); Minister for the Environment v Rocky Lamattina and Sons Pty Ltd (2009) 167 LGERA 219.
55. These include: Booth v Bosworth [2000] FCA 1878;
56. Booth v Bosworth (2001) 114 FCR 39;
57. 117 LGERA 168;
58. Humane Society International v Minister for Environment and Heritage (2003) 126 FCR 205;
59. Mees v Kemp [2004] FCA 356;
60. Queensland Conservation Council v Minister for the Environment and Heritage (2004) 139 FCR 24;
61. 134 LGERA 272 (Nathan Dam case);
62. Humane Society International v Kyodo Senpaku Kaislia Ltd [2006] FCAFC 116 (whaling case);
63. Brown v Forestry Tasmania (No 4) (2006) 157 FCR 1;
64. 152 LGERA 146;
65. Forestry Tasmania v Brown (2007) 167 FCR 34;
66. 158 LGERA 191;
67. Brown v Forestry Tasmania [2008] HCA Trans 202.
68. DEWHA, Record Penalty for Illegal Clearing of Wetland (Australian Government, 14 October 2004), http://www.environment, Eov. au/epbc/compliance/ iudgements.htmlgwydir-penalt viewed 3 February 2010.
69. See Minister for the Environment and Heritage v Greentree (No I) [2003] FCA 857;
70. McGrath C, "Minister for the Environment & Heritage v Greentree" (2003) 20 EPLJ 476.
71. See Minister for the Environment and Heritage v Greentree (No 2) (2004) 138 FCR 198;
72. Minister for the Environment and Heritage v Greentree (No 3) (2004) 136 LGERA 89.
73. McGrath C, "Swirls in the Stream of Australian Environmental Law: Debate on the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) " (2006) 23 EPLJ 165.
74. See Macintosh A and Wilkinson D, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act: A Five Year Assessment, (Discussion Paper No 81, The Australia Institute, 2005) pp 15-16;
75. Macintosh A and Wilkinson D, "Evaluating the Success of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth): A Response to McGrath" (2007) 24 EPLJ 81.
76. Minister for Environment v Rocky Lamattina & Sons Ply Ltd (2009) 167 LGERA 219 at [79].
77. Minister for Environment v Rocky Lamattina & Sons Pty Ltd (2009) 167 LGERA 219 at [80].
78. DEWHA, n31, p328.
79. See eg Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ss 15A (offences relating to World Heritage Properties), 17B
80. By virtue of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), s 4B (3).
81. Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW), s 119.
82. For example, Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 229 (1) provides for the offence of reckless killing or injuring a cetacean in the Australian Whale Sanctuary for which a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment and/or a fine of $110, 000 may be imposed. In the case of a strict liability offence the maximum penalty is $55, 000 (s 229A).
83. Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, s 5. 4. Proof of intention or knowledge will also satisfy the fault element for
84. "recklessness": Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, s 5.4.
85. Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, s 5.5.
86. Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, ss 6.1, 9. 2.
87. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ss 17B (1A) and (2A), 15A (1A) and (2A).
88. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 498B. These amendments were introduced in December 2006 and came into force in February 2007.
89. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 498B (1) (3).
90. Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, s 12. 3.
91. "Corporate culture" is defined as "an attitude, policy, rule, course of conduct or practice existing within the body corporate generally or in the part of the body corporate in which the relevant activities takes place": Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), Schedule, s 12. 6.
92. Fisse B and Braithwaite J, "The Allocation of Responsibility for Corporate Crime: Individualism, Collectivism and Accountability" (1988) 11
93. Sydney Law Review 468, on whose work the theory of "corporate culture" is based.
94. For example, under s 169 (1) of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) an executive officer can be held liable for any offence by his/her corporation without proof of personal fault. Liability is presumed, unless the officer can establish a defence of lack of influence or due diligence.
95. Specifically, in Pt 3 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (environmental approvals), or s 142 (conditions of approval).
96. The offences for which executive officers are liable for acts of their corporation are specified in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 495.
97. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 493.
98. See AWA Ltd v Daniels (1992) 7 ACSR 759 at 832-833 per Rogers J;
99. on appeal Daniels v Anderson (1995) 37 NSWLR 438.
100. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), ss 494, 495.
101. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Consen-ation Act 1999 (Cth), s 496.
102. Part 13A gives effect inter alia to Australia's international obligations under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (made 3 March 1973 in Washington DC, entered into force 1 July 1975).
103. Minister for the Environment and Heritage v Wilson [2004] FCA 6;
104. Minister for the Environment and Heritage v Grcentree (No 2) (2004) 138 FCR 198.
105. DEWHA, Prosecutions under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) (Annual Report 2004-2005, Australian Government).
106. DEWHA, Big Fines for Environment Law Breach (media release, Australian Government, 6 February 2009), httr://www.environment.gov. au/about/media/dept- mr/pubs/dmr6feb09.pdf viewed 3 February 2010.
107. Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 500.
108. Enviroiunent Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth), s 498.
109. For example, adverse publicity orders are provided in s20 (l) (a) @ of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) and s67A C (2)
110. of the Environment Protection Act 1970 (Vic). They were imposed in at least 17 cases in New South Wales during 2005-2009: New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change Annual Reports 2005-2009.
111. This is reinforced by s 20AB of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth) which permits the courts to impose community service orders where State legislation provides for them.
112. Abbot C, "The Enforcement of Pollution Control Laws in England and Wales: A Case for Reform?" (2005) 22 EPU 68 at 80.
113. See Macintosh and Wilkinson (2007), n 53 at 21.
114. The Hawke Report, n 4, p 276 suggests that the Act be amended to provide for information sharing during joint investigations.
115. Braithwaite V, "Responsive Regulation and Taxation: Introduction" (2007) 29 (1) Law and Policy 3, htto://www.vab.anu.cdu.au/ puhs/l/resnonsiveregulalion. ndf viewed 19 January 2010.
116. DEWHA, n 29.
117. DEWHA, n 31, p 330 citing Submission 189: The Australian Network of Environmental Defenders' Offices, p 15.