On 8 August 2025, the Queensland Government passed the Environmental Protection (Extractive Activities) Amendment Regulation 2025, amending schedule 2, section 16 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019 (Regulation). This change introduces a new exemption allowing regional local governments to undertake extractive and screening activities (ERA 16) involving State owned quarry material without the need for an environmental authority (EA), provided the work is within defined limits.
Who benefits?
The new exemption applies to the majority of local governments across Queensland, with only eight metropolitan and coastal councils excluded from the definition of “regional local government” under section 16(5) of the Regulation:
- Brisbane City Council;
- City of Gold Coast;
- Ipswich City Council;
- Logan City Council;
- City of Moreton Bay;
- Noosa Shire Council;
- Redland City Council; and
- Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
As a result, regional, rural, and remote councils across the State can now benefit from faster, more cost-effective access to quarry materials for essential local infrastructure projects.
What has changed?
For a regional council to qualify for and use the exemption, all of the following thresholds must be met:
- no more than 10,000 tonnes of material is extracted and processed within a given area in a year;
- the material is State-owned quarry material as defined under the Forestry Act 1959;
- extraction is carried out by, or on behalf of, one or more regional local governments;
- the material is reasonably necessary for fulfilling council responsibilities under the Local Government Act 2009 or the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994, specifically for the construction or maintenance of roads or other infrastructure; and
- any screening of the material takes place on the site where it was extracted.
As the exemption applies only in limited circumstances, any activity that fails to meet the requirements or exceeds the prescribed thresholds will require a site-specific EA under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (EP Act).
Why the Amendment was introduced
The amended framework seeks to strike a careful balance between easing regulatory requirements for regional councils and safeguarding Queensland’s environmental values.
Consultation with key local government stakeholders, revealed that requiring an EA for quarry extractions between 5,000 and 10,000 tonnes placed significant administrative and financial burdens on councils, particularly those that depend on quarry materials for roads, drainage, and other essential infrastructure. In many cases, these requirements delayed critical works and increased costs.
By introducing an exemption for smaller scale extractive and screening activities, the Queensland Government intends to cut unnecessary red tape, saving councils an estimated $2,700 per site-specific EA application, while enabling faster access to quarry materials for roadworks, community infrastructure, and other essential projects. The change is also expected to strengthen disaster recovery capabilities, particularly in northern and western Queensland, where timely access to materials can make a critical difference in restoring roads and other infrastructure after floods and other natural disasters.
Key takeaways
Importantly, the exemption applies only where the total amount of State-owned quarry material extracted and processed is 10,000 tonnes or less in a year. Any activity that exceeds this threshold will still require a formal EA under the EP Act.
Even when operating under the exemption, councils remain subject to all other obligations set out in the EP Act. This includes the general environmental duty to take all reasonable and practicable measures to prevent or minimise environmental harm. Councils should remain vigilant in their planning, execution, and monitoring of such activities to ensure that environmental impacts are appropriately managed.
View The Local Law publication here.