Queensland environmental authority applications
Preparation support for greenhouse gas information in an environmental authority application.
For applications for new site-specific/variation EAs and amendment applications. Fixed fee agreed after scoping.
Aethiro Pty Ltd provides technical greenhouse gas preparation support. This is not legal or financial advice, and Aethiro is not a legal or financial adviser. Aethiro does not issue environmental authorities, approvals, conditions or assurance, and cannot guarantee any regulatory outcome. Decisions rest with the administering authority. Clients should obtain their own legal advice on their obligations.
If you are applying for a new site-specific or variation environmental authority (EA), or applying to amend one, under Queensland’s Environmental Protection Act 1994, DETSI expects the application to describe the activity’s greenhouse gas emissions when DETSI is the administering authority.
DETSI’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Guideline (ESR/2024/6819, v1.02, January 2026) sets minimum expectations. The guideline does not create a new law. It explains how the existing application requirements of the EP Act apply to greenhouse gas emissions. It clarifies existing EP Act application requirements; does not add new provisions. The guideline was first approved on 15 May 2024. Version 1.02 is dated January 2026.
This is a summary of the guideline for scoping a preparation engagement. It is not a legal determination of an application.
| Application position | Information the guideline sets out |
|---|---|
| Every in-scope application | An estimate of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, proposed mitigation measures and a risk assessment. |
| 25,000 t CO2-e/yr Scope 1+2 → abatement plan | A greenhouse gas abatement plan as well, for an application expected to emit 25,000 t CO2-e or more per year (Scope 1 and Scope 2). |
An application with incomplete greenhouse gas information may receive an information request, which can add time to the assessment.
The pack covers applications for new site-specific/variation EAs and amendment applications. Standard applications are exempt. Condition conversions are exempt. Livestock emissions are excluded.
DETSI administers most environmentally relevant activities (ERAs). The authority for a particular application depends on the ERA.
The greenhouse gas information is prepared for the authority that administers that ERA. The scoping note names the authority.
We prepare the emissions inventory, the threshold assessment, mitigation options and, where needed, a draft abatement plan for you to lodge. We work from the records you already hold, such as fuel invoices, electricity bills, equipment lists and production plans, using the Australian Government’s National Greenhouse Accounts Factors.
Review the NGA emission factors used for Australian inventories. The draft is prepared for you to review and lodge.
Each pack is a fixed-fee engagement. The fee is agreed after a scoping discussion. Start with the applicability check, or go straight to the pack that matches a known threshold.
01 / Applicability
For anyone unsure whether, and how much, the guideline applies. A written scoping note covering:
02 / Under 25 kt Scope 1+2
For an in-scope application expected to stay under 25,000 t CO2-e per year of Scope 1 and Scope 2.
03 / 25 kt or more
For an application expected to emit 25,000 t CO2-e or more per year (Scope 1 and Scope 2). Everything in the low-emitter pack, plus:
Optional add-ons, scoped and quoted separately: information-request response support, and an annual update against EA conditions.
Application type, ERA, administering authority, threshold position and the pack to prepare.
Build the inventory and the documents in the agreed pack from your records, and record the assumptions.
Work through questions with your team and provide the draft for you to review and lodge.
You do not need every record before the first conversation. The first task is to see what the application needs and which pack fits.
Aethiro Pty Ltd provides technical greenhouse gas preparation support. This is not legal or financial advice, and Aethiro is not a legal or financial adviser. Aethiro does not issue environmental authorities, approvals, conditions or assurance, and cannot guarantee any regulatory outcome. Decisions rest with the administering authority. Clients should obtain their own legal advice on their obligations.
This pack covers applications for new site-specific/variation EAs and amendment applications under Queensland’s Environmental Protection Act 1994. Standard applications are exempt. Condition conversions are exempt. DETSI’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Guideline (ESR/2024/6819, v1.02, January 2026) sets minimum expectations for the greenhouse gas information. The guideline does not create a new law. It clarifies existing EP Act application requirements; does not add new provisions. It was first approved on 15 May 2024. Version 1.02 is dated January 2026.
For every in-scope application: an estimate of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, proposed mitigation measures and a risk assessment. 25,000 t CO2-e/yr Scope 1+2 → abatement plan. Applications expected to emit 25,000 t CO2-e or more per year (Scope 1 and Scope 2) include a greenhouse gas abatement plan as well. An application with incomplete greenhouse gas information may receive an information request, which can add time to the assessment. Livestock emissions are excluded.
No. DETSI administers most ERAs. ERAs 2, 3 and 4 (intensive animal industries) sit with the agriculture department. Devolved ERAs sit with local government. The scoping note names the administering authority for that application.
Applicability and threshold check: a written scoping note with the application type, the administering authority, the sources in scope, a first-pass Scope 1 and Scope 2 estimate against 25,000 t CO2-e per year, and a recommended next step. Low-emitter pack (under 25 kt Scope 1 and Scope 2): a Scope 1 and Scope 2 inventory using National Greenhouse Accounts Factors, a CER Emissions and Energy Threshold Calculator sheet, mitigation measures, a GHG risk assessment, a short application-ready GHG section and an assumptions register. Abatement-plan pack (25 kt or more): everything in the low-emitter pack, plus a draft greenhouse gas abatement plan structured to the guideline, and a Scope 3 description where relevant. Information-request response support and an annual update against EA conditions can be quoted separately. The fee is fixed and agreed after scoping.
Legal interpretation, lodgement on the client’s behalf, AQP offset reports, assurance or verification opinions, Safeguard baseline applications, and guarantees of approval or timing. Aethiro prepares the greenhouse gas information for the client to review and lodge.
Aethiro Pty Ltd provides technical greenhouse gas preparation support. This is not legal or financial advice, and Aethiro is not a legal or financial adviser. Aethiro does not issue environmental authorities, approvals, conditions or assurance, and cannot guarantee any regulatory outcome. Decisions rest with the administering authority. Clients should obtain their own legal advice on their obligations.
Version cited: ESR/2024/6819, v1.02, January 2026. Page prepared . Confirm the current guideline, and the administering authority for the ERA, when scoping the work.
Bring the application type, the ERA and the records you already hold. We will name the administering authority, check the 25,000 t CO2-e Scope 1 and Scope 2 position, and quote a fixed fee before preparation starts.