Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality) 2004

​​​​​​​​Overview

The Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality) 2004, also known as the Air Quality EPP, provides a framework for the management and regulation of point and diffuse sources of emissions to air for pollutants with the potential to cause environmental harm. The EPP was developed to help regulatory authorities and industry maintain and improve Tasmania’s air quality.

  EPP (Air Quality) 2004   (253Kb)​

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​The EPP was made under section 96K of the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act 1994 (EMPCA) and came into​ effect on 1 June 2005.

Environmental Values

The environmental values to be protected under the Air Quality EPP are:

  • the life, health and well-being of humans at present and in the future
  • the life, health and wellbeing of other forms of life, including the present and future health, wellbeing and integrity of ecosystems and ecological processes
  • visual amenity
  • the useful life and aesthetic appearance of buildings, property and materials

​Scope of Provisions

Provisions of the Air Quality EPP include:

  • application and objectives
  • environmental values and standards
  • managing point sources of air contaminants
  • managing diffuse sources of air contaminants
  • specific provisions relating to industrial sources of pollution
  • specific provisions relating to odour
  • general provisions relating to diffuse sources (such as wood heaters, and backyard burning)
  • specific provisions relating to planned burning

Specific provisions relating to emissions from wood heaters and backyard burning are contained in the Environmental Management and Pollution Control (Smoke) Regulations 2019 .​

Air Quality EPP and the EPA​

The EPA Board have issued a Statement that clarifies how the Board uses and implements the Environment Protection Policy (Air Quality) 2004 (Air Quality EPP) during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process. The Statement also provides important updates to air pollutant design criteria. Some criteria for air pollutants in the Air EPP derive from the National Environmental Protection (Ambient Air Quality) Measure 1998 (Air NEPM) standards that have since been varied. ​In addition, the Director, EPA has determined 19 supplementary air pollutant design criteria that are not currently in the Air EPP. The Director has determined these criteria based on new standards in the Air NEPM, on health advice and/or from other jurisdictions.