Environment Information Australia Act 2025

This section applies if the Head of Environment Information Australia reasonably believes that data or information held by, or a data system maintained by, a Commonwealth entity, a State or Territory government body, or any other person or body, is critical to:

a matter in respect of which the CEO has functions; or

a matter in respect of which the Minister has functions under a national environmental law.

The Head may, in writing, declare the data, information or system, or part of the system, to be a national environmental information asset.

The Head must, as soon as practicable after making a declaration under subsection (2), give written notice of the declaration to the entity, person or body that holds or maintains the data, information or system.

At any time while one or more declarations are in force, the Head must maintain a register of national environmental information assets.

The register must be published on a website maintained by the Department.

The rules may prescribe:

the information that must be included in the register; and

the circumstances in which the holder of a national environmental information asset may notify the Head of a proposed change to:

the content of the asset; or

the availability or accessibility of the asset.

The following are not legislative instruments:

a declaration made under subsection (2);

the register maintained under subsection (4).