Metal surface coating
General information
Commercial spray painting (other than spray painting motor vehicles), powder coating, enamelling, electroplating, anodising or galvanising is defined as ERA 25 under Schedule 1 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 1998.
These activities are level 1 ERAs and need a development permit and a registration certificate.
Guidelines and policies
The department recommends you read the Brisbane City Council's Operator's Environmental Guide - Pollution Solutions for Metal Finishers and Engineers (PDF)*, which has been developed to help operators to comply with best practice environmental management.
Where an activity is devolved to local government, you should contact the relevant Council to discuss your proposal before you lodge your application.
Where an activity is not devolved you should refer to the following documents when preparing your application:
Information sheet: Information for applicants for an environmentally relevant activity (ERA)
Pre-design conference service
For an activity devolved to local government, you should contact the relevant Council to discuss the proposal before you lodge your application.
For ERAs administered by the department a 'pre-design conference' service is offered for projects which may include issues requiring a high level of assessment. This service includes meeting with a departmental project manager to discuss all the information requirements to be provided with your application.
For more details, read the Pre-design conference fact sheet.
This service can be initiated by contacting the Ecoaccess Customer Service Unit on 1300 368 326 or by email at eco.access@epa.qld.gov.au or completing a Pre-design conference application form. If a pre-design conference is required to discuss your application in more detail, a departmental officer will contact you directly.
Permits and approvals
The environmental authority and/or development approval will contain conditions to ensure that this industry is conducted in a way that minimises adverse impacts on the environment.
There are a number of categories within this ERA that are administered by either the department or local government. The categories devolved to local government are listed in the information sheet Environmentally relevant activities devolved to local government. The information sheet also explains the circumstances when devolution to local government does not occur.
Where a development application is required, the relevant local government must be contacted regarding any requirements in addition to the ERA matters.
Forms and fees
The fees for this ERA are listed in the information sheet Summary of fees - environmentally relevant activities. For devolved activities these are the maximum fees as the relevant local government may have set a lower fee. For a devolved ERA, contact the relevant local government for details of the fees that apply.
For devolved ERAs, application forms can be obtained from the relevant local government. Where a development approval is required, application forms are also available from a link under the Integrated Planning Act 1997 section of the application forms webpage.
If the administration of the ERA is not devolved, application forms can be obtained online or by contacting the department Ecoaccess Customer Service Unit on 1300 368 326.
* Requires Acrobat Reader
Last updated: 14 October 2005