Antarctic Mining Prohibition Act 1991; Environment Protection (Sea Dumping) Act 1981; and Protection of the Sea(Prevention of Pollution from Ships)Act 1983. Australian Heritage Commission Act 1975; Australian Antarctic Territory Criminal Procedure Ordinance 1993. Environment Protection (Impact of Proposals) Act 1974; Wildlife Protection (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act1982; Whale Protection Act1980; and Quarantine Act1908. National Parks and Wildlife Act1970 (Tasmania); Heard and McDonald Islands Environment Protection and Management Ordinance1987; Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands Criminal Procedures Ordinance 1993; World Heritage Properties Conservation Act 1983.(Australasian Legal Information Institute, 1997)The most important advancement in environmental legislation for the protection of the Antarctic environment has been the Madrid Protocol on Environmental Protection. This was adopted by Treaty parties in Madrid in October 1991 and declares Antarctica to be a natural reserve devoted to peace and science. The Protocol places a total ban on mineral activities for 50 years and specifies requirements for impact assessments, environmental monitoring, decision-making procedures and dispute settlement (MPEP, 1991).The Environmental Impact ProcessEnvironmental Impact Assessment (AIE) is required under the Madrid Protocol and Australian domestic legislation. The Antarctic Treaty (Environment Protection)Act 1980 [as amended to implement the requirements of the Protocol] requires all activities to undertake some form of assessment. The Act identifies three levels of assessment as follows;For activities that will have less than a minor or transitory impact a Preliminary Assessment (PA) is required.For activities that will have a minor or transitory impact an Initial Environmental Evaluation (IEE) is required.For activities that will have great...
