From 1 January 2020, all South Australian petrol stations need to be licensed by the EPA.
The State Government added petrol stations to the list of activities of environmental significance due to the ongoing cost of soil and groundwater contamination caused by leaking storage tanks.
All petrol retailers will need to be licensed, regardless of whether they have underground or aboveground storage.
The EPA engaged with petrol retailer associations and groups on what the fee structure and licence conditions might look like.
Standard licence conditions will apply to all sites, but annual fees will depend on the amount of petrol sold each year, with small and mid-tier operators paying less than those with higher turnover.
All petrol retailers have been informed of the change, and online licence applications have been open since October.
Until 31 December 2019, there will be no application or assessment fees for petrol stations already licensed under the Petroleum Products Regulation Act 1995.
Application fees will apply for applications received for new petrol stations on or after 1 January 2020.