Frequently asked questions

• What is contained in the public register?
• What is the cost of using the public register?
• Can I download information from the portal?
• Why are there differences between the online record and the downloaded document?
• Why do some records not have documents attached?
• How do I notify the department about an error in the portal?
• How do location searches work?

What is contained in the public register?

The public register requirements are detailed in sections 540 and 540A of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 and section 147-149 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.

View a streamlined list of record types.

The Public Register Portal provides instant access to the most frequently requested record types. If a specific record is not yet available on the portal, it may be obtained via an information request.

If you are concerned about a document being publicly available, you may contact the department to clarify what is required under the EP Act. You should seek your own independent legal advice, as departmental officers are not able or authorised to provide legal advice in relation to specific matters.

If a document is required under legislation, the department is typically unable to redact or remove it from the public register. An exception is where the department is satisfied, in accordance with section 542A of the EP Act, that the release of particular information would put someone’s personal safety at risk.

If a person has concerns about their personal information being made available on the public register, they can request that the department withhold particular information by completing the Application to withhold personal information from a public register (ESR/2023/6439) (DOCX, 188 KB).

For further information please phone: 1300 130 372 (option 4) in business hours.

What is the cost of using the public register?

All records and documents published to the online portal are provided free of charge. If you request a copy outside of the online portal, the department may prescribe a reasonable fee for copying a document under section 543 of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

Can I download information from the portal?

Yes, you are able to copy data from the page or download the associated document(s). Please note that documents cannot be exported in bulk, and are provided on a per-record basis.

Note: Due to character limits in some Excel versions (approximately 32,000 characters per cell), some exported data may appear truncated in this format (e.g.: large lists of activities and locations on an Environmental Authority). Where this occurs, refer to the full, online version of the record for more complete details, or download the associated document that was issued.

Why are there differences between the online record and the downloaded document?

Not every change to an Environmental Authority record requires a new document to be issued, such as an administrative correction or updating a reference number. The online record reflects the latest details recorded on system. The associated document contains the details and conditions that were current at the time that document was issued.

Why do some records not have documents attached?

There are several reasons a document may not be available online. For example, an older document may not yet be digitised due to its age, or a recent document may not yet be ready for publication.

Documents that are not yet available in the online portal can be obtained via an information request.

How do I notify the department about an error in the portal?

If you believe there is an error in the records and/or documents, please notify us by sending an email to Public.Register@des.qld.gov.au including:

• your name (and company, if applicable)
• your contact details
• the name of the entity or record
• any associated reference numbers, e.g. a permit number or enforcement number
• specific details of the error, and any information which may assist in correcting it.

How do location searches work?

The online portal allows users to search some records by a location reference, such as a street name, lot on plan, suburb, or Local Government Area (LGA). There are three main reasons that this search functionality may be constrained:

• the location cannot be tied to a fixed, searchable point, e.g. a ‘mobile and temporary’ location
• location lookups are sourced via an independent provider, which may not match all records correctly, or may not be able to match historic records
• a location may be notated or implied in a written document but is not explicitly recorded in the department’s system of record.

Locations on the public register reflect the point in time at which the record was created/issued. Changes to land such as subdivisions or reconfigurations can affect Lot on Plan details and these changes do not retrospectively flow back to documents and records that have already been issued. To improve your search, it may be appropriate to conduct a title search for other Lot on Plan descriptions and use that information to search the public register.

If you are searching for a resource activity, you can improve your search by using the mining or petroleum tenure instead of a lot or plan number. You find tenure details by conducting a Public search for resource authorities.

• How do I search the portal?
• How do I search the portal by activity?
• Can I download all documents from the portal at once?
• What is the best way to search for a single record?
• What do the different ‘status’ options mean across modules?
• How do I search by location?

How do I search the portal?

The online portal is divided into modules such as Registered Suitable Operators, Environmental Authorities, and Enforcement Actions. Each module can be searched using (at least) one of the available search parameters. Refine your search by choosing the most relevant module and using more specific search parameters.

Some search fields allow wildcards (e.g.: for unknown spellings) or multi-select options (where more than one item is applicable):

• When searching for text (e.g.: a name or location), the asterisk (*) may be used as a wildcard, e.g. Bri*e would match both “Brisbane” and “Bribie”.
• When selecting multiple items in a list (e.g. a status or industry), hold the “Ctrl” key to select more than one option. This method also works to remove an option once it has been selected.
• Note that not every search field supports wildcards or multi-select items; some functionality may vary depending on the specific search category.

If a document is available for download, it will be attached to a specific search result. From the search results grid, navigate to the desired record, and any available documents will be displayed there. If it is not available online, it can be requested via the Public Register Information Request.

Note: While the portal supports some location-based search parameters, it is not designed to be a complete spatial solution. Location-based searches may limit the accuracy of results (for example, where land has been subdivided or reconfigured over time).

How do I search the portal by activity?

You can search certain modules of the portal by the environmentally relevant activities (ERAs) that are authorised. To search by activity, select one or more of the ERAs from the Activity field (use Ctrl + click to select multiple activities at a time).

As the portal includes current and historical environmental authorities, the activities listed include both current and historical ERAs. This is why some activities appear to be duplicated in the portal (e.g. ‘ERA 55 – Regulated waste recycling or reprocessing’ [historical] and ‘ERA 55 – Other waste processing or treatment’ [current]). A list of current ERAs is available in Schedule 2 and 3 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2019.

Can I download all documents from the portal at once?

No. Documents are provided on a per-record basis. Locate a record in the online portal and its associated documents can then be downloaded from that page, if available.

Documents that are not available in the portal can be obtained via an information request.

What is the best way to search for a single record?

If you are looking for a specific record or document, the best search parameter is its unique reference number, e.g. a permit reference, an application reference, or an enforcement reference. Otherwise, knowing the name of the individual/organisation it relates to can help narrow results. Searching these fields usually provides the most targeted results. Searching by date ranges can also be a helpful filter, if you are confident of the time period in which the record was received or issued.

When you conduct a search, all results will be filtered by the search parameters you have selected. The more parameters you use, the more specific your results will be. The fewer parameters you use, the broader your results will be. If you are unsure of the exact parameters for a particular scenario, a broad search is best to start with.

What do the different ‘status’ options mean across modules?

Records in the portal are typically associated with a permit, licence, or enforcement action. Information about the most common statuses is provided below.

How do I search by location?

Most records in the online portal are associated with some kind of location reference. Where available, you can search for location details by:

• location description, e.g. a street address, a resource tenure, or a lot on plan
• postcode
• locality (also known as suburb)
• local government area.

To verify whether a resource tenures exists, you can conduct a Public search for resource authorities.

Location details may be supplemented both from departmental records as well as third-party lookup services. As such, the department provides no warranty as to the currency or reliability of supplemented search details. For example, a lot on plan may fail to be validated if it is an historic reference that has subsequently been subdivided or reconfigured.

Generally, you should avoid combining multiple location parameters in a single search, as it is more likely to be restrictive and exclude results that don’t exactly match every criterion. If you are unsure, use the generic “Location” search box to enter a partial search term (such as part of a street address, a mining tenure, or a lot on plan number).

When searching for a lot on plan, do not include the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Plan’; only the alphanumeric values are required, e.g.: 1/RP12345. You must know at least two characters to search for, e.g. you cannot just search for the number ‘1’.

Where a non-standard location is used (i.e. it is not quantifiable as a street address, lot on plan, or tenure reference), then the portal search is unlikely to return results for location-based searches. Examples of non-standard locations can include:

• locations that are offset in relation to something else, e.g. it is ‘adjacent to’ a landmark
• historic references that have been changed since the time of the document’s original creation
• the land intersects multiple boundaries, or the boundaries have recently changed.

In these scenarios, try to avoid location-based searches and try other details such as a document reference, an organisation/individual name, an activity, or an  to find the information you are looking for.

• How do I submit a public register information request?
• When will I get a response?

How do I submit a public register information request?

To access records on the Public Register we recommend that you first search the Public Register Portal. If your search is unsuccessful, you may submit a Public register information request.

Your request can be actioned where it is in accordance with section 540 and 540A of the Environmental Protection Act 1994.

The information request form is divided into different search channels. The ‘Due diligence’ channel is the broadest search and will encompass results across other modules that can be tied to a defined piece of land, such as a specific Lot on Plan number.

Within each channel, the search is divided into three steps:

• Step 1: define search parameters (the list of available parameters may change according to the search channel that has been selected)
• Step 2: compare online results (any records which are published online can be accessed directly via this step. If you are able to find the desired information or document, you do not need to proceed further)
• Step 3: submit request details (used to identify the exact record(s) you are seeking which were not available online)

You are able to repeat this process to combine multiple requests into a single submission (if required). Once you have added all the necessary request items, the final stage is to provide your contact details and submit it to the department for processing.

If you are unable to use the Information Request form for any reason, please contact the department to discuss other options.

When will I get a response?

Many records are provided live through the online portal, which can be accessed immediately. For those records which are not yet available online, information requests will be processed according to their size and complexity. The department is typically able to provide a response within 10 to 75 business days. This timeframe is heavily influenced by several factors, including:

• current records (faster) versus historic archives (slower)
• specific search terms (faster) versus broad parameters (slower)
• digitised records (faster) versus hardcopy files (slower).

For requests with a very complex/broad scope, the processing time may take up to (or in some cases exceed) 75 business days. Some example requests and the estimated timeframes are included below: