While all care has been taken in the preparation of our Fact Sheets, they are a guide only and are no substitute for legal advice in individual cases. For any specific questions, you should seek legal advice.
– This Fact Sheet last updated: January 2019
Environmental law means the laws that regulate the impact of human activities on the environment. Environmental law covers a broad range of activities that affect air, water, land, flora or fauna. It includes laws that relate to:
- Protection of animals and plants
- Planning for the use and development of land
- Mining, exploration and extractive industries
- Forestry
- Pollution
- Fisheries
- Land and fire management
- Agriculture and farming
- Waste management
- Climate change and emissions
- Water resource management (lakes, wetlands, rivers and oceans)
- Chemicals and pesticides
- Weeds and invasive species
- Marine life
- Conservation of natural and cultural heritage
The general functions of most environmental laws are to:
- set offences and penalties for causing harm to the environment which is not authorised;
- assess, control or stop certain activities (such as land use and development) before they are carried out;
- set policies and standards for how activities will be controlled and how environmental decisions and approvals will be made;
- enable members of the public to take part in environmental decision-making;
- create regulatory structures for environmental management, such as regulatory agencies (e.g. the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics);
- create specialist courts and tribunals (e.g. the Northern Territory Civil Administrative Tribunal)
In the Northern Territory, some environmental laws are made by the Northern Territory Parliament. Others may made by the Commonwealth Parliament. Some environmental laws are also made by local councils or the courts.
The EDO acknowledges the generous support of the Northern Territory Law Society Public Purposes Trust to enable publication of this Fact Sheet.
