Environmental Protection Act 1994

This Act is to be administered having regard to—

the following principles of environmental policy as set out in the Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment—

the precautionary principle;

intergenerational equity;

conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity;

improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms (which includes the principle known as the principle of polluter pays); and

the principle (known as the principle of proportionality) that a decision, action or thing directed towards minimising harm or a risk of harm to the environment should be proportionate to the harm or risk of harm that is being addressed; and

the principle (known as the principle of primacy of prevention) that prevention of harm to the environment is preferred to remedial or mitigation measures.

If a provision of this Act requires the chief executive or administering authority to consider, or have regard to, the standard criteria, the chief executive or administering authority—

must consider, or have regard to, the standard criteria; and

need not but may consider, or have regard to, any other principle mentioned in subsection (1).