Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 (NSW)

Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 No 60

An Act to constitute the Environment Protection Authority and to make provision with respect to its general responsibilities and management; to amend various Acts; and for other purposes.

Part 1 Preliminary

1 Name of Act This Act may be cited as the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991.

2 Commencement This Act commences on a day or days to be appointed by proclamation.

3 Definitions (1) In this Act— advisory committee means an advisory committee established under Part 6. Authority means the Environment Protection Authority constituted by this Act. Board means the Board of the Authority established under this Act. Chairperson means the Chairperson of the Board appointed under section 18. Chief Executive Officer or CEO means the person employed in the Public Service as the Chief Executive Officer of the Authority. criminal or related proceedings means any proceedings for an offence against the environment protection legislation or any proceedings under Division 4 of Part 8.2 and Part 8.4 of, or under Schedule 2A to, the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. environment means components of the earth, including— (a) land, air and water, and (b) any layer of the atmosphere, and (c) any organic or inorganic matter and any living organism, and (d) human-made or modified structures and areas, and includes interacting natural ecosystems that include components referred to in paragraphs (a)–(c). environment protection includes anything which furthers the objectives of the Authority as set out in section 6. environment protection legislation means the following Acts, and the regulations and other instruments made under the following Acts— (a) this Act, (b) Contaminated Land Management Act 1997, (c) Dangerous Goods (Road and Rail Transport) Act 2008, (d) Environmental Trust Act 1998, (e) (Repealed) (f) Ozone Protection Act 1989, (g) Pesticides Act 1999, (ga) Plastic Reduction and Circular Economy Act 2021, (h) Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, (i) Protection from Harmful Radiation Act 1990, (j) Recreation Vehicles Act 1983, (k) Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001, (l) any other Act, or part of an Act, prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this definition.