Application for declaration

Applications for declaration of a coordinated project must be submitted to the Coordinator-General in writing.

The application must include an:

• initial advice statement (IAS)
• statement regarding the proponent's financial and technical capability to complete the EIS or IAR process
• pre-feasibility assessment of the technical and commercial feasibility of the project
• relevant fee.

Guideline - Application requirements for coordinated project declaration ( 676.8 KB)

It is strongly recommended that proponents attend a pre-lodgement meeting before lodging an application.

Initial advice statement

The IAS is a scoping document that provides information on the:

• size and nature of the proposed project
• environment in and around the project location
• scale and extent of the project's potential environmental impacts
• any proposed measures to mitigate potential adverse impacts.

The IAS helps the Coordinator-General determine whether the project in question should be declared a coordinated project and the level of assessment required (i.e. EIS or IAR).

Should pre-application discussions between the proponent and the OCG consider that an IAR process may be applicable to the development proposal, the IAR should also contain sufficient information to enable a determination of:

• the level of certainty of the impacts predicted by the proponent, and

• the extent to which the proposed impact mitigation measures:
  • conform to established industry best practice, or
  • may be adequately managed by application of published standard conditions.

If the Coordinator-General subsequently decides that the level of assessment is by EIS, the IAS will also inform the draft terms of reference.

If and when the project is declared a coordinated project, the IAS becomes a public document. It remains the key source of public information regarding the project proposal until the EIS or IAR is released. Therefore, it should not contain any confidential information.

Financial and technical capability statement

A proponent's financial and technical capability statement must provide enough evidence to demonstrate that the proponent has access to the:

• technical capabilities to complete the EIS or IAR process
• funding to complete the EIS or IAR and any additional information that the Coordinator-General may require to complete the assessment of the project.

The financial and technical capability statement is subject to commercial-in-confidence considerations; it is not a public document.

Pre-feasibility assessment

An application for a coordinated project must include a separate statement assessing the technical and commercial feasibility of the project.

This pre-feasibility assessment is subject to commercial-in-confidence considerations; it is not a public document.

Fees

Applications for the declaration of a coordinated project by the Coordinator-General are subject to fees.