From Envirowiki

according to the Department of Environment and Heritage (DEH):

"The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) protects the environment, particularly matters of National Environmental Significance. It streamlines national environmental assessment and approvals process, protects Australian biodiversity and integrates management of important natural and cultural places."

[edit] Process

It is triggered when a development project is deemed by the minister for Environment and Heritage (or the ministers delegate) to have a "significant impact" on a "matter of national environmental significance." These matters include RAMSAR Listed wetlands, Threatened and migratory species, nuclear actions and world heritage areas. Usually the proponent of the project judges whether or not the project will have a significant impact on one of these areas and then submits it to the department of environment and heritage. If the project is thought by the minister to have a significant impact then it is called a "controlled action" if it is thought not to have a significant impact it is "not a controlled action."

[edit] EPBC triggers and climate change

The EPBC act is somewhat problematic due to the subjectiveness and stretchiness of the term "significant impact". There is also no greenhouse trigger in the EPBC act which is somewhat old fashioned considering the urgency of greenhouse reductions today.