Industry Regulation licensing fees

The table below displays the current fee unit values associated with the specific types of application.

Table 1. Current fee unit values (as of 1 July 2022)

Different fee types are assigned different fee unit values, as specified under the EP Regulations. Total fees are calculated by multiplying the fee unit values with the relevant quantity of fee units.

For example, under r.5B(2), applying for a registration incurs a fee of 24 fee units, which would work out as 24 x $43.45 = $1,042.80.

For further information on the calculation of fees related to works approvals and/or licences, refer to the department’s Fact sheet: Industry Regulation fees.

All occupiers of prescribed premises must pay the relevant fee(s) to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.

Fees for new applications (i.e. new works approval, licence, or registration, or for an amendment, renewal, or transfer of an existing instrument) are due once the department has confirmed that the application is valid.

Annual fees for existing licences are due by the anniversary date of the licence being granted and are paid for the year in advance.

Additional late fees apply:

• where an application for a replacement licence (‘a renewal application’) is submitted less than 70 calendar days before the expiry date of the existing licence (with the late fee doubling if the renewal application is submitted less than 42 calendar days before the expiry date)
• if an annual fee is paid late, but still within one month after the anniversary date.

For applications, failure to pay the relevant fee means that the application will not be accepted for assessment. Depending on the type of application, it would be ‘declined’ or ‘returned’ and no further action taken.

If a licence holder fails to pay their annual fee before, or within one month of the anniversary date, their licence will cease to have effect. A licence that has ceased cannot be reinstated; the (former) licence holder would instead need to apply for a new licence.

No, payment in instalments is not accepted.

The fees for a new or existing licence are calculated based on the amount of waste or emissions that is expected to be discharged to the environment over the course of subsequent annual period (or the first year after the licence is granted, in the case of a new licence).

If a licence holder reduced their emissions, the annual licence fee for future annual periods would consequently be lower. The licence holder can also request an appropriate refund of the annual fee they paid for the preceding annual period that reflects this reduction in their emissions, provided the refund request form is supported by appropriate evidence.

Fee revenue is directed towards employing departmental staff in both the licensing and compliance areas.

Fee revenue is also invested in building, improving, and maintaining digital systems to improve the timeliness of decision-making on, and ensure an appropriate response to, the increasing demand for environmental assessments and approvals.

The last two changes to Industry Regulation fees were in July 2018 and July 2022, respectively. In both cases, these were modest increases to support the long-term implementation of the department’s cost recovery model for fees and are reflective of the objects and principles of the EP Act, particularly the ‘polluter pays principle’.

Please see the Changes to Industry Regulation licensing fees – July 2022 information sheet for further details on the most recent fee changes.