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Environmental Law prompts for Australian lawyers

These prompts are designed for AU environmental lawyers acting on approvals, contamination, pollution enforcement, climate disclosure, and public interest litigation. Copy any prompt, replace placeholders with your matter facts, and run it.

In short

A curated library of 25 AI prompts for Australian environmental practitioners. Each prompt is grounded in the EPBC Act 1999 (Cth), state Protection of the Environment legislation, and current Federal and Land and Environment Court authority.

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Research

Research prompts (5)

Research EPBC controlled action triggers

Prompt

Research the current approach to controlled action determinations under s 75 of the EPBC Act, including the significant impact thresholds for matters of national environmental significance.

Example use: Advising a mining proponent on whether a greenfield project requires federal referral.

Research contaminated land liability

Prompt

Research the current regime for contaminated land liability under [state] Contaminated Land Management Act. Cover chain-of-liability, notices, and innocent purchaser defences.

Example use: Due diligence for a buyer acquiring a former industrial site in NSW.

Research climate disclosure obligations

Prompt

Research the current mandatory climate disclosure obligations under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure) Act 2024, including phase-in thresholds and AASB S2.

Example use: Advising a Group 1 reporting entity on its first climate-related financial disclosure.

Research pollution offence elements

Prompt

Research the elements of water pollution and land pollution offences under s 120 of the [state] POEO Act, including tier 1, 2 and 3 offences and available defences.

Example use: Advising a manufacturer on exposure after a spill from a bund failure.

Research environmental standing

Prompt

Research the current approach to standing for environmental judicial review under s 487 of the EPBC Act and Australian Conservation Foundation principles.

Example use: Advising a community group considering a challenge to a ministerial approval.
Drafting

Drafting prompts (5)

Draft an EPBC referral

Prompt

Draft an EPBC Act referral. Proponent: [details]. Action: [details]. Identify the MNES triggers, assessment methodology, and proposed mitigation measures.

Example use: Referral for a wind farm project near a listed threatened species habitat.

Draft submissions on a planning proposal

Prompt

Draft environmental submissions on a planning proposal / SSD application. Proposal: [details]. Cover biodiversity, water, air, and cumulative impacts.

Example use: Submission on an SSD application for a major warehouse development.

Draft a notice to comply response

Prompt

Draft a response to an EPA notice to comply / clean-up notice under the [state] POEO Act. Facts: [details]. Include proposed actions and timeframes.

Example use: Responding to a NSW EPA clean-up notice after a chemical spill.

Draft an environmental deed of access

Prompt

Draft a deed of access for environmental investigations between a landowner and a proponent/auditor. Include scope, indemnity, and data sharing obligations.

Example use: Site access deed for Phase 2 contamination investigations during a transaction.

Draft a climate disclosure statement

Prompt

Draft sections of a climate-related financial disclosure covering governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets under AASB S2.

Example use: First-year disclosure by a listed industrial group under the Australian regime.
Review

Review prompts (5)

Review a contaminated site report

Prompt

Review this contaminated land Phase 2 report. Assess sampling adequacy, exceedances against NEPM criteria, and recommended management measures.

Example use: Review of a consultant report on a site being acquired for redevelopment.

Review a development approval condition

Prompt

Review the environmental conditions of this development consent. Identify ambiguities, ongoing compliance obligations, and modification triggers.

Example use: Reviewing conditions on a major project approval for ongoing compliance planning.

Review an environmental management plan

Prompt

Review this environmental management plan. Assess alignment with approval conditions, monitoring adequacy, and incident response arrangements.

Example use: Construction EMP for a linear infrastructure project in Victoria.

Review a climate disclosure draft

Prompt

Review this draft climate disclosure for alignment with AASB S2, TCFD, and ASIC regulatory guidance on greenwashing.

Example use: Reviewing a corporate sustainability report section for misleading statements risk.

Review an EPA notice

Prompt

Review this EPA notice (clean-up / prevention / prohibition) for validity, scope, and review rights under the [state] POEO Act.

Example use: Reviewing a prevention notice challenging the factual basis for the EPA's action.
Client comms

Client comms prompts (5)

Explain EPBC referral process

Prompt

Draft a plain-English explanation of the EPBC referral and assessment process, including timing, assessment methods, and approval conditions.

Example use: A client proponent new to federal environmental approvals.

Explain contaminated land obligations

Prompt

Draft a plain-English explanation of contaminated land notification obligations under the [state] CLM Act for a landowner.

Example use: A client who has discovered historical contamination during excavation works.

Explain greenwashing risk

Prompt

Draft a plain-English briefing on greenwashing risk under ACL s 18 and ASIC RG 271, with practical guidance on marketing claims.

Example use: A client rolling out a new sustainability marketing campaign.

Explain a pollution incident response

Prompt

Draft a plain-English briefing on incident notification obligations under s 148 of the POEO Act and interaction with privilege.

Example use: A client that has just had a material pollution incident at a manufacturing site.

Explain climate disclosure timing

Prompt

Draft a plain-English briefing on mandatory climate disclosure phase-in under Australian law, including group classification and first reporting year.

Example use: A company assessing whether it falls into Group 1, 2, or 3.
Strategy

Strategy prompts (5)

Strategy for defending an EPA prosecution

Prompt

Develop a strategy for defending a tier 1/tier 2 pollution prosecution. Facts: [details]. Consider defences under s 118 POEO Act, mitigation evidence, and sentencing submissions.

Example use: Defending a company charged after a significant spill incident.

Strategy for a judicial review challenge

Prompt

Develop a judicial review strategy against an environmental approval. Grounds: [details]. Consider standing, merits review alternatives, and interim relief.

Example use: Community group challenging a ministerial approval for a coal project.

Strategy for acquiring a contaminated site

Prompt

Develop a strategy for acquiring contaminated land. Facts: [details]. Consider Phase 1/2 due diligence, indemnity, price adjustment, and insurance.

Example use: Acquisition of a former petrol station site for residential redevelopment.

Strategy for a climate litigation defence

Prompt

Develop a defence strategy for climate-related shareholder litigation. Facts: [details]. Consider disclosure adequacy, AASB S2 alignment, and s 1041H exposure.

Example use: Board facing a climate-related disclosure claim from an institutional investor.

Strategy for an approvals condition modification

Prompt

Develop a strategy for modifying approval conditions under s 4.55 / s 4.56 of the EPA Act. Consider modification categories, public exhibition, and appeal rights.

Example use: Proponent seeking to modify conditions to accommodate a design change on a SSD.
Use with Quillio

Run these prompts grounded in AU law

Quillio is built for Australian environmental practice — outputs are grounded in the EPBC Act, state POEO legislation, and current Federal and Land and Environment Court authority. See /practice-areas/environmental-lawyers for details, or start a free trial at /free-trial.

These prompts are templates — always verify outputs against source material and current legislation before relying on them in client matters.

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