What is a project of State significance?
Legislative basis for assessment
Who will assess the project?
How will the impact of the project be assessed?
How will government decisions be made about the project?
How can the community participate in the process?
Figure 1 - Assessment Process
Further information
A project is eligible to be a project of State significance if it possesses at least two of the following attributes:
An order made by the Governor declaring the proposal to be a project of State significance must be approved by both Houses of Parliament before an assessment can commence.
Currently the Tasmanian Premier, the Hon. Paul Lennon, is the Minister responsible for projects of State significance. The Minister directs the Tasmanian Planning Commission (TPC) to undertake an integrated assessment of the proposal in accordance with the requirements of the State Policies and Projects Act 1993.
In some instances a project may be determined, by the Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, to be a controlled action for the purposes of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
The Commission is an independent statutory body with the responsibility for undertaking integrated assessments of projects of State significance.
Importantly, the Commission's role is to assess the project and make recommendations to the government. It is the government that finally determines whether the project proceeds, and if so, on what terms and conditions.
The State Policies and Projects Act 1993 sets out the statutory assessment process for a project of State significance. The proponent will prepare a Draft Integrated Impact Statement (IIS), which will describe the proposal and address all potential environmental, social, community and economic impacts of the construction and operation of the proposal.
A key step in the process is the preparation of guidelines for the scope of studies and the process for preparing the Draft IIS. The Commission invites public comment on a draft set of guidelines before providing the proponent with the final scope guidelines.
The proponent then submits its Draft IIS to the Commission for assessment. The Draft IIS is placed on public exhibition and public comment invited. A hearing may be held. Persons who lodge a written submission on the Draft IIS may, at the invitation of the Commission, make a presentation at the hearing. The Commission will prepare a Draft Integrated Assessment Report (DIAR), which will be placed on public exhibition for a minimum of 28 days. Submissions will be invited on the Commission's DIAR. Submissions will be considered by the Commission and a further hearing may be held to assist the Commission to consider the submissions. The Commission will submit a final report to the Tasmanian Premier.
The government will consider the Commission’s report and determine whether the project is to proceed, and if so, on what conditions.
Opportunities for public input are through submissions in response to:
Public comment on the Draft Integrated Impact Statement (IIS) will be invited through public notices in Tasmanian and national newspapers. Interested persons and organisations will have a minimum period of 28 days to comment in writing on the Draft IIS during the public exhibition period. Similarly, notices will be placed in newspapers to notify the public when the Commission’s Draft Integrated Assessment Report has been placed on public exhibition.
For further information on the assessment process, refer to the:
State Policies and Projects Act 1993;
Tasmanian Planning Commission Act 1997.
