All persons or organisations planning to conduct any activities in the Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) and/or the HIMI Marine Reserve must complete a HIMI environmental approval application form Word and submit via email to EIA@aad.gov.au at least 5 months before intended departure.

All activities in the area must be consistent with the applicable Australian IUCN reserve management principles, as described in Schedule 8 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000, and in accordance with HIMI Territory and Marine Reserve boundaries and zoning.

Applicants please note: The Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve Management Plan 2014–2024 has expired and has no legal effect.

Expanded boundaries and zoning for HIMI Marine Reserve will be in effect from 24 January 2025.

The Director of National Parks will manage the Reserve in accordance with applicable Australian IUCN reserve management principles for relevant zones of the Reserve.

General information from the 2014–2024 Management Plan can help guide or inform environmental impact assessments for proposed activities in the Reserve, to the extent that this information is still relevant and current.

Legislative requirements

Environment Protection and Management Ordinance 1987

The Territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands (HIMI) Environment Protection and Management Ordinance 1987 (EPMO) provides that a person may only enter the HIMI Territory (including the 12 nautical miles territorial sea), in accordance with a permit issued under the Ordinance, or during the course of an emergency, or while a person is performing duties as an inspector appointed under the EPMO.

The EPMO also provides that a person may only carry out certain actions in the Territory, in accordance with a permit issued under the EPMO, which include:

  • bring any organism into the Territory
  • bring any dead poultry or poultry products into the Territory
  • take, injure, remove or engage in conduct that results in death or injury to, or interference with any organism
  • land an aircraft, drive a vehicle or sail a vessel
  • leave any equipment, material or refuse
  • introduce or remove any soil or other geological matter or engage in conduct that results in interference to any soil or other geological matter
  • collect any material
  • engage in conduct that results in interference with any buildings, historical relics, equipment, supplies or survey markers.

A permit will not be issued to authorise a person to take, injure or otherwise interfere with any organisms, or collect any material unless:

  • The number of organisms of any species that may be taken or killed in that year by virtue of that permit and any other permit will be replaced by natural reproduction in the next breeding season.
  • The activity is for providing specimens for scientific research, public education or other educational or cultural purposes.

An EPMO permit would also be required for the following activities, although it is likely that a permit would only be issued in exceptional circumstances:

  • Engage in conduct that results in interference to the conduct of a scientific experiment that is the subject of a permit.
  • Engage in conduct that results in a living organism that has been introduced into the Territory escaping in the Territory.

The following activities are prohibited in the Territory and will not be authorised by a permit:

  • the bringing into the Territory of any diseased organism or live poultry
  • mineral resource or fishing activity within the Territory.

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

Proposals to conduct activities within the HIMI Marine Reserve (including within the Territory) may also require a permit under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. 

Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000

Proposals to conduct activities within the HIMI Marine Reserve (including within the Territory) may also require a permit under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Regulations 2000.

Environmental approval process

Before a permit can be granted, the proposed activity must undergo an environmental impact assessment. Proponents are encouraged to make early contact with the AAD regarding proposed activities at HIMI, and permit applications must be submitted at least 5 months before proposed departure for HIMI to allow sufficient time for assessment. 

Depending on the activity proposed, there may be other environmental approval and permit requirements to consider. In particular, if you propose to conduct research that may disturb or interfere with seabirds or marine mammals, it is likely that you will require additional permits under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). Applications for such permits are assessed and issued by a number of areas within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. For more information, see EPBC Permits or contact epbc.referrals@dcceew.gov.au. 

All visitors to the Territory must to be fully self-sufficient and will be required to indemnify the Commonwealth from any liability arising from an accident, and where appropriate, to have suitable public liability insurance.

Permit-holders are generally required, as a condition of permit, to provide a report on compliance with permit conditions within 60 days after expiration of the permit. This requirement is additional to Antarctic Science Advisory Committee (ASAC) or Antarctic Animal Ethics Committee (AAEC) reporting requirements.

Applications: HIMI permit applications Word must be completed and submitted to the AAD’s Antarctic and Environmental Regulation Section (via email to EIA@aad.gov.au), at least 5 months before proposed departure for HIMI to allow time for assessment.

Variations: Requests to vary permitted activities must be submitted at least 3 months before any proposed changes to activities (via email to EIA@aad.gov.au) and will be subject to a similar environmental assessment and permitting process.

Reports: HIMI permit reports Word must be completed and submitted by the permit’s expiry date (via email to EIA@aad.gov.au).

For more information or any questions about the HIMI permiting process, please contact the AAD's Antarctic and Environmental Regulation Section, via email to EIA@aad.gov.au.

Subject to the Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 an application may be made to the Administrative Review Tribunal for the review of a decision to grant a permit. This application may be made by or on behalf of a person whose interests are affected by the decision.

Permit register

  • HIMI 08-08-01, 01/03/2008 to 01/03/2009, Kerry Steinberner, AAD undertake environment protection, monitoring and repair activities.
  • HIMI 08-09-02, 15/12/2008 to 22/12/2008, Rob Bryson, AAD undertake environment protection, monitoring and repair activities.
  • HIMI 10-12-01, 01/11/2010 to 01/11/2012, Rohan Wilson, Customs, Undertake fisheries investigations, environment protection, monitoring and repair activities.
  • HIMI-EPBC-11-12-01, 26/08/2011 to 31/12/2011, Institut Polaire Francais, Marion Dufresne, Seawater sampling, spatial surveys, multibeam bathymetry data, deploying gliders and optical profiling floats.
  • HIMI-11-12-QUARK, 15/12/2011 to 15/01/2012, Quark Expeditions Inc, Travel on foot within Main Use, Heritage and Visitor Access Zones at Spit Bay, Atlas Cove and Long Beach.
  • HIMI-EPBC-11-12-02, 18/02/2012 to 23/03/2012, Dr William Balch, RV Revelle, Seawater sampling for biological, chemical and hydrographic analyses.
  • HIMI-2012-001, 08/11/2012 to 31/12/2012, Heritage Expeditions Ltd, Spirit of Enderby, Travel on foot and tourism activities within Main Use and Visitor Access Zones; and provide support to Grahame Budd to access areas of the Wilderness Zone to facilitate analysis of changes to Reserve ecology and glaciology.
  • HIMI-EPBC-13-14-01, 10-01-2014 to 10-02-2014, Institut Polaire Francais, Marion Dufresne, Satellite tracking of king penguins and seopelagic fish distribution and biomass sampling using acoustic methods and bioprofilers.
  • HIMI EPMO 2020-21, Children of the Polar Flowers, Aleksei Leto, sightseeing and photography via SY Bazileus, 15/01/21 to 31/03/2021
  • HIMI EPMO 2020-21, SWINGS voyage, Dr Catherine Jeandel, clarification of trace element sources, transformations and sinks in the Southern Ocean via Marion Dufresne II, 01/01/21 to 30/04/21
  • HIMI 2015-001, 28/4/2015 to 30/6/2017, James Fleming, AAD remote camera inspection and maintenance under AAP 3319 Implementation of the AADs regulatory functions.
  • HIMI EPMO 2015-16 4338 Investigator V01, 15/12/2015 to 1/4/2016, Prof Millard Coffin, Submarine Volcanism and Hydrothermalism around Heard and McDonald Islands
  • HIMI EPMO Cordell Expeditions signed 1/3/2016, 10/03/2016 to 30/04/2016, Dr Robert Schmeider, Radio operations and field science via MV Braveheart
  • HIMI-EPBC-22-23-STRUGNELL FV Cape Arkona, 1/3/2023 to 30/06/2023 AAP 4628 Monitoring bycatch in the HIMI Fishery and Marine Reserve.
  • HIMI EPMO Bureau of Meteorology 2021, 1/03/2021 to 30/04/2021. Undertake repair work on an Automatic Weather Station at Spit Bay, supported by FV Atlas Cove, Austral Fisheries Pty Ltd.
  • HIMI-EPBC-19-20-COFFIN, 01 January and 30 April 2020, RV Investigator, AAP Project 4519 Formation of Williams Ridge, Kerguelen Plateau: Tectonics, and Australia’s extended continental shelf.
  • HIMI-EPBC-19-20-STRUGNELL, 20 December 2019 and 30 April 2020, Research on organisms collected under HIMI-EPBC-19-20-COFFIN permit to determine the timing of the most recent collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
  • HIMI-RSTS-EPBC-24-25-ZIEGLER FV Cape Arkona, 1/3/2025 to 1/6/2025. Random Stratified Trawl Survey in the HIMI Fishery and Marine Reserve.

Note: Not all permits will be included in the register if the Minister decides that it is not in the national interest to do so, could result in risk to the environment, or could adversely affect the commercial interests of a person who has been granted a permit.

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