To ensure that the public have adequate opportunity to review referrals and submit public comments, please note the following temporary arrangements during the upcoming Christmas-New Year holiday period.
  1. From Thursday 8 December 2022 to Friday 23 December 2022, new referral applications submitted to the Department will continue to be validated and, as required, resubmission requests for further information sent. However, for applications that are found to meet the requirements of the EPBC Act and Regulations during this time, the Department will delay publication until after the holiday period.
  2. The Department will not be attended from close of business Friday 23 December 2022 until it resumes operations on Tuesday 3 January 2023.
  3. From Tuesday 3 January 2023, the Department will operate as usual. Any applications that are found to meet the requirements of the EPBC Act and Regulations from Thursday 8 December 2022 to Friday 23 December 2022 will be published as soon as practical.
Please direct any questions to the Referrals Gateway at
E: EPBC.Referrals@agriculture.gov.au or Ph: 1800 423 135. If your call is not answered, please leave a voicemail and the department will return your call as soon as possible.
Welcome to the EPBC Act Business Portal
Using this Portal, you can:
  • Create a new account
  • Manage your existing account
  • Start a new referral
  • Access your dashboard with all your applications and projects

Built for everyone

This Portal is for anyone who wants to take an action that will, or is likely to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance.

Easily refer your action

You can use the Portal to refer your action if you are uncertain about the impacts your project may have but want to be sure you are acting responsibly in accordance with the EPBC Act.

Track assessment progress

The Minister will use the information you provide to decide if your action needs Commonwealth Government approval and, if it does, what type of assessment will need to be done.

Identify significant impacts easily

If your project has significant impacts to any matter that is protected by the EPBC Act, you can use the referral form to tell us about those impacts. This is called ‘referring your action’ to us.

Get help guidance

Any guidelines or policy documents relevant to completion of the referral form may also be taken into account by the Minister in making their decision, and proponents should address them relevant to their circumstances.

Pre-referral checklist

Use our step by step pre-referral checklist to ensure that you have all you need when you’re ready to start.