The EPA has utilised Administrative Procedures since at least 1993 as a means of describing the procedures used for dealing with referrals and assessments covered by Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (EP Act). Since 2002, these have been published in the government gazette.

Since 2016, the Administrative Procedures have been supported by a Procedures Manual, which provides additional details for proponents, public, and staff of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation on each stage of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process.

In implementing the first strategic priority of the EPA’s Strategic Plan 2023-26 —leading the ongoing enhancement of environmental impact assessment practices to deliver improved environmental protection outcomes—the EPA undertook a comprehensive review of its EIA procedures suite.

Following extensive reviews and consultation throughout 2023 and 2024, including the Vogel-McFerran review and feedback from the Stakeholder Reference Group, the EPA determined that the most effective approach to implementing identified improvements was through the development of a consolidated guide to outline the practice of EIA. This consolidated document is the Environmental Impact Assessment Practice Guide Assessment of Proposals in Western Australia under Part IV of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (the Practice Guide).

The EIA Practice Guide is intended to replace the existing Administrative Procedures and Procedures Manual. The EIA Practice Guide won’t come into effect immediately in order to assist in its implementation but has been published now to clearly articulate the new approaches that will apply in WA.

From 1 January 2026, the EIA Practice Guide will be used as the primary reference document that outlines EIA processes in Western Australia. It introduces a range of improvements designed to enhance transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder engagement. Until 1 January the current Administrative Procedures and Procedures Manual will continue to apply.

The EPA have published Transitional Arrangements to outline how the EIA process will change based on the different stages of the EIA process. This is available below.

Key Highlights:

• Single Source of Information: One comprehensive document for ease of access and consistency.
• Streamlined Environmental Review Document: A single assessment document will now cover both the referral and assessment stages, simplifying submissions and enhancing review efficiency.
• Modernised Assessment Approach: The shift from prescribed Levels of Assessment (LOAs) to a flexible framework based on three key questions enables more efficient and targeted assessments.
• Refined Scoping Process: Scoping will now be led by the EPA, with technical experts providing focused input where it is considered necessary to ensure relevance and clarity.
• Enhanced Public Participation: The minimum public review period has been extended from two weeks to four weeks, allowing more time for meaningful community engagement.
• Clearer Roles and Responsibilities: The EIA Practice Guide clarifies the roles of Decision-Making Authorities (DMAs), the public, and technical experts, ensuring a more transparent and collaborative process.

Coming soon - Supporting Material

To align with the streamlined EIA Practice Guide, the EPA will be updating the following priority documents to assist with proponent’s and consultants providing comprehensive and targeted information to inform the EPA’s assessment:

• Referral instructions and form
• Scoping instructions and template
• Environmental Review Document and template

These will be available to coincide with the implementation date of 1 January 2026. More information about how the new EIA Practice Guide will affect these documents and processes are outlined in the Transitional Arrangements.

The EPA will also be systematically reviewing and updating other supporting EIA instructions and forms in 2026 to align with the new EIA Practice Guide.

Feedback Register

If you would like to provide feedback, please fill out the feedback form here, feedback will be captured in the Feedback Register and form a key part of the review of the EIA Practice Guide