ERA 8 - Chemical storage

How to apply for your development approval and registration certificate:

1. Check your activity meets the criteria for ERA 8 – Chemical storage
2. Understand the fees
3. Apply for your development approval
4. Apply for your registration certificate

Contact us

We strongly encourage you to take advantage of our free consultation service before lodging your development application. This will ensure the correct information has been provided and your application can proceed without delays.

Email: palm@derm.qld.gov.au
Phone: 13 QGOV (13 74 68) or download the form Application for a pre-design/pre-lodgement meeting - EM1125 (Word, 285K)‡

1. Check your activity meets the criteria for ERA 8 – Chemical storage

Chemical storage is described as environmentally relevant activity (ERA) 8 in schedule 2 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2008 (PDF)*.

Chemical storage (the relevant activity) consists of storing—
1. 50t or more of chemicals of dangerous goods class 1 or class 2, division 2.3 in containers of at least 10m³; or
2. 50t or more of chemicals of dangerous goods class 6, division 6.1 in containers capable of holding at least 900kg of the chemicals; or
3. 10m³ or more of chemicals of class C1 or C2 combustible liquids under AS 1940 or dangerous goods class 3; or
4. the following quantities of other chemicals in containers of at least 10m³—
  1. 200t or more, if they are solids or gases;
  2. 200m³ or more, if they are liquids.
The relevant activity does not include—
1. in-transit storage of chemicals; or
2. storing chemicals for carrying out an activity under section 7 (Chemical manufacturing – ERA 7); or
3. storing 10m³ to 500m³ of chemicals of class C1 or C2 combustible liquids under AS 1940 or dangerous goods class 3 for carrying out an activity under section 6 (Asphalt manufacturing – ERA 6) or 16 (Extractive and screening – ERA 16); or
4. transporting petroleum under the Petroleum Act 1923 or the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act 2004; or
5. carrying out an activity to which section 55 (Regulated waste recycling or reprocessing – ERA 55), 56 (regulated waste storage – ERA 56), 57 (regulated waste transport – ERA 57) or 58 (Regulated waste treatment – ERA 58) applies.

Regulation common words or phrases

container includes a package or tank.
dangerous goods means dangerous goods under the dangerous goods code.
in-transit storage, of chemicals, means storage of the chemicals in a container for no more than 5 days at a place, if, during the storage—
a.   the container holding the chemicals is not opened; and
b.   the chemicals are neither used, nor intended to be used.
    Examples of in-transit storage—containers of chemicals being transported or awaiting transport or collection because of unavoidable delay
storing, a quantity of a chemical, includes moving the chemical, or some of the chemical, within the site where the chemical is stored.

The annual fee is determined by the level of environmental impact, based on the size and scope of the activity. There are a number of ERA 8 – Chemical storage thresholds for this activity.

ERA threshold	ERA description	Annual fee	Administering Authority
ERA 8(1)	Storing a total of 50t or more of chemicals of dangerous goods Class 1 or Class 2, division 2.3 in containers of at least 10m³	Fee	DERM
ERA 8(2)	Storing 50t or more of chemicals of dangerous goods Class 6, division 6.1 in containers capable of holding at least 900kg of the chemicals	Fee	DERM
ERA 8(3)(a)	Storing 10m³ to 500m³ of chemicals of Class C1 or C2 combustible liquids under AS 1940 or dangerous goods Class 3	Fee	Local government
ERA 8(3)(b)	Storing more than 500m³ of chemicals of Class C1 or C2 combustible liquids under AS 1940 or dangerous goods Class 3	Fee	DERM
ERA 8(4)	Storing 200t or more of chemicals that are solids or gases, in containers of at least 10m³, other than chemicals mentioned in items 1 to 3	Fee	DERM
ERA 8(5)	Storing 200m³ or more of chemicals that are liquids, in containers of at least 10m³, other than chemicals mentioned in items 1 to 3	Fee	DERM

The administering authority will be your contact agency for the life of the activity. Depending on the ERAs proposed, the administering authority will be either the:

local government;
Department of Employment Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI); or
Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).

This page includes information on fees, forms and guidance material that apply when DERM is the administering authority. Where DERM is not the administering authority you should contact the administering authority for details of fees, forms and copies of any guidelines and policies you should refer to when preparing your application.

The information sheet Environmentally relevant activities devolved to local government - EM2101 (PDF, 62K)* lists circumstances when the DERM is the administering authority for this ERA instead of the local government.

2. Understand the fees

Development approval

When applying for your development approval, an application fee is required as well as the annual fee for your proposed activity (see table above). These fees need to be paid when submitting your development application.

If your development application involves more than one ERA in the one application, the annual fee will be the single highest fee of all ERAs.

Please note: there may also be additional fees payable to other state or local government authorities.

Registration certificate

If applying for your registration certificate within 30 business days of your development approval taking effect, there are no additional fees.

However, if you are applying for your registration certificate after 30 business days of your development approval taking effect, additional fees apply. An application fee and an annual fee for the activity (see table above) are to be paid when submitting the registration certificate application.

When applying to undertake multiple activities as a single integrated operation, the annual fee will be the single highest fee of all ERAs.

Further information regarding the requirements for a single integrated operation can be found in the information sheet Requirement to become a registered operator – EM2452. (PDF, 66K)*

Additional fee information

Summary of annual fees for environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) - EM389 (PDF, 194K)*
Fees for permits for environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) - EM33 (PDF, 88K)*
Paying a reduced annual fee – EM264 (PDF, file unavailable)*

3. Apply for your development approval

To carry out your proposed activity, an application for a development approval under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 is required.

Once you have prepared your application, you need to lodge it with the assessment manager.

For ERAs that are assessable against a local planning scheme, the assessment manager will usually be the local government. If you are unsure whether your activity is assessable against a planning scheme, please contact your local government.

If the activity is not assessable against a local planning scheme, the assessment manager will likely be the administering authority—local government, DEEDI or DERM (see table above). If the administering authority is not the assessment manager, they will provide input into your application as a concurrence agency.

Applications can be lodged as a hardcopy using the approved forms or online through Smart eDA (if relevant to the assessment manager).

Please note: online applications cannot be made directly to DERM using Smart eDA.

DERM requires additional information to assess your application regarding the ERA’s operation and potential environmental impacts.

Additional information

Please refer to the following information to assist in determining what additional documentation is needed when submitting your application:

Submitting your application

All applications submitted to the assessment manager (local government, DEEDI or DERM) must include:

the relevant application fee
all mandatory information as outlined in the application form
the owner’s consent if it is required under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009
evidence of resource entitlement if the development includes a state resource and where this is required by the Sustainable Planning Act 2009.

All applications which require referral to a concurrence agency as determined by the assessment manager must be submitted to the concurrence agency and must include:

the relevant application fee
a copy of the application
a copy of the acknowledgment notice provided by the assessment manager after they have received the application.

If DERM is the administering authority for your application, please submit the required documentation and payments to:

Regular post
Permit and Licence Management
Implementation and Support Unit
Department of Environment and Resource Management
PO Box 2454
Brisbane QLD 4001

Courier or registered post
Permit and Licence Management
Implementation and Support Unit
Department of Environment and Resource Management
Level 3, 400 George Street
Brisbane QLD 4001
(Opening hours 8.30 am – 4.30 pm business days)

4. Apply for your registration certificate

The final step before undertaking your proposed activity is to apply for your registration certificate. The best time to apply will depend on individual circumstances. For example, if you are applying within 30 business days of your development approval taking effect, no additional fees are payable. However, once your registration certificate is issued an annual fee will apply for every anniversary from this date.

If the activity is not immediately operational when your development approval takes effect, you may wish to postpone applying for your registration certificate. This will ensure that an annual fee is not incurred until the activity becomes operational.

Please note: an application fee and annual return fee (see table above) are still payable when submitting the application if it not lodged within 30 business days of your development approval taking effect.

You will need to apply to the administering authority for your registration certificate. Your application for a registration certificate must be submitted with the prescribed fee. Registration allows the registered operator to carry out the activities at the places stated in the certificate.

Registration certificates may be issued for multiple activities and sites where it is considered the activities are part of a single integrated operation.

To apply for your registration certificate, download the form Application for a registration certificate for an environmentally relevant activity - EM2438 (Word, 327K)‡ and if necessary the form Attachment 1 – to accompany your application for a registration certificate for multiple environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) - EM2434 (Word, 308K)‡, and post to: