EPA receives and assesses applications to issue licences and works approvals.

EPA licences are required for all scheduled premises – as defined by the Environment Protection (Scheduled Premises and Exemptions) Regulations 2007 – unless the premises are exempted in the Regulations. Licences cover the actual operation of the site, and set operating conditions, waste discharge limits and waste acceptance conditions, as appropriate.

A works approval is required when the occupier of scheduled premises seeks to increase or alter the emissions or the types of wastes that their premises handle.

The Regulations say which industrial or commercial activities require an EPA works approval before they are built or modified, and then licensed by EPA to operate.

Research, development and demonstration (RD&D) approvals cater for projects that are limited in scale, duration and environmental impact. An RD&D approval allows the installation and operation of the plant and equipment required for the project.