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Referrals

See also:

• Referrals accepted since July 2009
• Referrals accepted between July 2008 - June 2009
• Referrals accepted between July 2007 - June 2008
• Referrals accepted between July 2006 - June 2007

What is a referral?
When a proposed project could potentially have significant environmental effects, a written referral is sent to the Minister for Planning requesting a decision on whether an Environment Effects Statement (EES) is required.

A referral can be made by:

• A project proponent
• Any Minister or statutory body responsible for public works, e.g. VicRoads or a water authority
• Ministers, agencies (such as the Environment Protection Authority) or local government who make decisions under Victorian law.

Ideally the project proponent will make the referral in order to avoid delays by the decision-maker having to do it late in the approvals process. Alternatively, the Minister for Planning may direct that a project be referred.

Criteria for referrals
The criteria for deciding whether a project should be referred are listed on page 7 of the Ministerial Guidelines for Assessment of Environmental Effects under the Environment Effects Act 1978:

Ministerial Guidelines for Assessing Environmental Effects (PDF - 582 KB)

How to make a referral
Referrals should contain the information outlined on pages 8-9 of the above Ministerial Guidelines, using the following proforma:

Referral Form Template (DOC - 241 KB)

A signed hard copy, together with a cover letter and all supporting documents, should be submitted to:

Minister for Planning
PO Box 500
East Melbourne Vic 3002

In addition, an electronic copy should be emailed to ees.referrals@dpcd.vic.gov.au to assist in timely receipt and processing. An acknowledgement email will be provided.

The electronic copy should be in Microsoft Word where possible. Supporting documents such as plans and maps may be provided as PDFs. All documents will be published on this website in PDF format.

If supporting documents are greater than 2 MB in size they should be sent on a CD or DVD accompanying the hard copy original.

Pre-referral consultation
Anyone intending to lodge a referral is strongly encouraged to consult DPCD first. Consultation assists the decision of whether to refer the project and helps to clarify what information should be provided. It may also guide proponents in conducting feasibility studies and developing a proposal.

For pre-referral advice please contact the Referrals Coordinator on (03) 9637 9628.

When will a decision be made?
Once a referral has been formally accepted, the Minister for Planning will normally make a decision within 20 business days.

The proponent and relevant decision-makers will be notified of the decision in writing. Public notice will then be given on this website.

Please note: Document(s) on this page are presented in PDF format. If you do not have the Adobe Reader, you can download a copy free from the Adobe web site.