Environment and Resource Management

Industry environmental codes

Codes of practice for activities that cause, or are likely to cause, environmental harm, which have been approved under s. 548 of the Environmental Protection Act, list ways of achieving compliance with the general environmental duty. Industries or industry associations generally prepare these codes to advise members on measures they should take to prevent or minimise environmental harm.

An environmental code is one of the factors the administering authority needs to consider in making certain decisions under the Act. You can also defend a charge of unlawfully causing environmental harm if you can prove that you were complying with the terms of an approved code of practice (s. 436(3)).

Preparing a code is a voluntary action taken by industries who want to take a step towards greater environmental responsibility. Similarly, complying with a code is voluntary—it is not an offence to fail to comply with a code. However the defence mentioned above is available to operators who are complying with the terms of a code that are relevant to the issue in question.

See Preparation of Codes of Practice for approval under the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (PDF, 62K)* for more information on the role of environmental codes and a model for preparing them.

Environmental codes approved by the minister are published in the Government Gazette. To date, the following codes have been approved:

Environmental code of practice for agriculture

Proponent: Queensland Farmers Federation
Approved: 27 March 1998
Available from: Queensland Farmers Federation
(07) 3017 1333
Cost: No cost but $5.00 postage fee for multiple copies.

Sustainable cane growing in Queensland

Proponent: Canegrowers
Approved: 9 April 1998
Available from: Canegrowers
(07) 3864 6444
Cost: Fees apply

Sustainable fruit and vegetable production in Queensland

Proponent: Qld Fruit and Vegetable Growers
Approved: 10 June 1998
Available from: Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Growers
(07) 3213 2444
Cost: Out of print

Railway noise management codes of practice

Proponent: Queensland Rail
Approved: 3 December 1999
Available from: Queensland Rail
Cost: Nil

Environmental code of practice for Queensland Piggeries

Proponent: Queensland Pork Producers Inc and Department of Primary Industries
Approved: 25 March 2000
Available from: Department of Primary Industries.
Contact Bookshop on 1800 816 541 or email
Cost: Fees apply

Queensland dairy farming environmental code of practice

Proponent: Queensland Dairyfarmers Organisation and Department of Primary Industries
Approved: 2 February 2001
Available from: Department of Primary Industries.
Contact Bookshop on 1800 816 541 or email
Cost: Fees apply

Environmental code of practice for Australian Prawn Farmers

Proponent: Australian Prawn Farmers Association
Approved: 21 September 2001
Available from: Australian Prawn Farmers Association
(07) 3255 1070
Cost: tba
See the department operational policy Licensing wastewater releases from existing marine prawn farms in Queensland.

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Last updated 3 November 2009

Codes of practice

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