AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Environment Protection Amendment 
Act 2000
No 12 of 2000
	
An Act to amend the Environment Protection Act 1997 and for other purposes
[Notified in ACT Gazette No.14:  6 April 2000]
	The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory enacts as follows:
1 	Name of Act
	This Act is the Environment Protection Amendment Act 2000.
2 	Commencement
	This Act commences on the day it is notified in the Gazette.
3 	Insertion
	Before section 159 of the Environment Protection Act 1997 the following section is inserted in Part 14:
“158A	Annual reports to deal with environmental matters 
“(1) 	The chief executive of an administrative unit must ensure that a report under section 7 of the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 1995 complies with subsection (3).
“(2) 	A public authority (as defined in the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 1995) must ensure that a report under subsection 8 (1) or paragraph 8 (5) (a) of that Act complies with subsection (3).
“(3)	A report described in subsection (1) or (2) relating to a body or person (the reporter)	for a period must—
	(a)	include a report on how the actions of, and the administration (if any) of legislation by, the reporter during the period accorded with the principles of ecologically sustainable development; and
	(b)	identify how the outputs (if any) specified for the reporter in budget papers laid before the Legislative Assembly with an Appropriation Act relating to the period contributed to ecologically sustainable development; and
	(c)	document the effect of the reporter’s actions on the environment; and
	(d)	identify any measures the reporter is taking to minimise the impact of actions by the reporter on the environment; and
	(e)	identify the mechanisms (if any) for reviewing and increasing the effectiveness of those measures.
“(4)	The Auditor-General may audit compliance with subsections (1) and (2). 
“(5)	In this section—
ecologically sustainable development has the meaning given by subsection 3 (2).
principles of ecologically sustainable development means the principles set out in paragraphs 3 (2) (a) to (d).”. 

Endnote 
Act amended
1	Act 1997 No 92 (not republished).  See also Acts 1998 No 52; 1999 No 54.
[Presentation speech made in Assembly on 8 December 1999]

©  Australian Capital Territory 2000