Commonwealth Consolidated Acts Commonwealth Consolidated Acts(1) The objects of this Act are:
(a) to provide for the protection of the environment, especially those aspects of the environment that are matters of national environmental significance; and
(b) to promote ecologically sustainable development through the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of natural resources; and
(c) to promote the conservation of biodiversity; and
(ca) to provide for the protection and conservation of heritage; and
(d) to promote a co - operative approach to the protection and management of the environment involving governments, the community, land - holders and indigenous peoples; and
(e) to assist in the co - operative implementation of Australia's international environmental responsibilities; and
(f) to recognise the role of indigenous people in the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity; and
(g) to promote the use of indigenous peoples' knowledge of biodiversity with the involvement of, and in co - operation with, the owners of the knowledge.
(2) In order to achieve its objects, the Act:
(a) recognises an appropriate role for the Commonwealth in relation to the environment by focussing Commonwealth involvement on matters of national environmental significance and on Commonwealth actions and Commonwealth areas; and
(b) strengthens intergovernmental co - operation, and minimises duplication, through bilateral agreements; and
(c) provides for the intergovernmental accreditation of environmental assessment and approval processes; and
(d) adopts an efficient and timely Commonwealth environmental assessment and approval process that will ensure activities that are likely to have significant impacts on the environment are properly assessed; and
(e) enhances Australia's capacity to ensure the conservation of its biodiversity by including provisions to:
(i) protect native species (and in particular prevent the extinction, and promote the recovery, of threatened species) and ensure the conservation of migratory species; and
(ii) establish an Australian Whale Sanctuary to ensure the conservation of whales and other cetaceans; and
(iii) protect ecosystems by means that include the establishment and management of reserves, the recognition and protection of ecological communities and the promotion of off - reserve conservation measures; and
(iv) identify processes that threaten all levels of biodiversity and implement plans to address these processes; and
(f) includes provisions to enhance the protection, conservation and presentation of world heritage properties and the conservation and wise use of Ramsar wetlands of international importance; and
(fa) includes provisions to identify places for inclusion in the National Heritage List and Commonwealth Heritage List and to enhance the protection, conservation and presentation of those places; and
(g) promotes a partnership approach to environmental protection and biodiversity conservation through:
(i) bilateral agreements with States and Territories; and
(ii) conservation agreements with land - holders; and
(iii) recognising and promoting indigenous peoples' role in, and knowledge of, the conservation and ecologically sustainable use of biodiversity; and
(iv) the involvement of the community in management planning.