Environment Protection Authority Victoria

Environment Protection Authority Victoria entrance in Carlton
Agency overview
Formed1 July 1971
JurisdictionVictoria, Australia
Headquarters200 Victoria Street, Carlton, 3053
Employees600 (approx)
Annual budget$100m per annum (approx)
Parent agencyVictorian Government
Websitewww.epa.vic.gov.au
Agency IDPROV VA 1058

The Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) is Victoria’s environmental regulator. EPA is an independent statutory authority, established in 1971 under the Environment Protection Act 1970 (EP Act). EPA's role is to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of pollution and waste on Victorians and their environment.[1]

History

Established under the Environment Protection Act 1970, EPA is the world's third oldest environmental regulatory agency.[2] It was established to address environmental problems across the state in a systematic and integrated way, bringing together a range of legislation and powers to be administered by a central authority.

A three membered EPA was launched in 1971 additionally to a seventeen members Environment Protection Council.[3]

In 1973, the EPA started assuming full power over the control of air, water and land pollution and started granting licences for waste discharges. These licences stated the limits under which the discharges could be allowed while guaranteeing safety levels.[4]

In July 2021 the Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 came into effect, transforming the structure under which EPA works that was established under the Environment Protection Act 2017.[5] The cornerstone of the new Act is the general environmental duty, which states that all persons (i.e. legal entities, including corporations) who are undertaking any activity which poses a risk of harm to human health or to the environment has a duty to minimise those risks so far as is reasonably practicable.[6]

Currently, the EPA sits within the portfolio of Energy, Environment and Climate Change; the Minister of which is the Hon. Ingrid Stitt MLC.[5]

Organisation

EPA maintains seven distinct regional offices designed so that the authority can respond effectively to local issues and events. As of December 2019 these regions are:[7]

  • North Metro Region, headquartered in Preston.
  • West Metro Region, headquartered in Sunshine.
  • South Metro Region, headquartered in Dandenong.
  • South West Region, headquartered in Geelong.
  • North West Region, headquartered in Bendigo.
  • North East Region, headquartered in Wangarrata.
  • Gippsland Region, headquartered in Traralgon.

Environmental Monitoring

Air quality

The EPA is in charge of monitoring the air quality through the AirWatch program and checks the presence and concentration of six pollutants:

within 19 sites[8][9] across Victoria and advises citizens on air quality and strategies to manage its impact.

Water quality

- Beach report and Yarra Watch

The EPA monitors the water quality over 36 beaches across Port Phillip bay daily and along the Yarra River.[10][11] General recommendations include:

  • Avoiding to swim near stormwater drains,
  • Avoiding to swim within 48 hours of a rainfall,
  • Trying not to swallow the water,
  • Covering cuts and scratches with waterproof bandages,
  • Washing skin with soap after being in contact with water and showering after swimming.[12]

- Marine monitoring

The EPA is in charge of evaluating and improving the marine water quality, check for pollution and risks on the Port Phillip Bay, Western Port and Gippsland Lake.

As an independent regulator, the EPA works with industries, governments and resources managers to develop legal frameworks, set standards about marine quality and indicators, monitor compliance with the law and enforce it.[13]

Since 1996, the EPA has been monitoring the marine water quality daily using their own vessels[14] and working on mapping out environmental conditions through independent sampling systems installed on ships like ferries.[15]

Odour control

The EPA is in charge of handling odour complaints and giving advice and guidelines to businesses on that matter.[16]

In 2021, the West Metro Region, the Southern Metro Region, and the Northern Region received the highest number of odour complaints.[17]

In 2023, the EPA took Stevensons Brothers Industries (SBI) Landfill to court claiming that the company failed to fulfil their general environment duty due to the landfill's continued odour impact on nearby residents.[18]

Responsibilities

Compliance and Enforcement

In January 2023, the EPA investigated an oil spill that was effecting the water of St Kilda Beach, Victoria and the neighboring Elwood Beach. Swimmers were advised to avoid going into the water due to an oily substance that was found in the water. The organizations was also investigating reports of dead fish turning up on the beach and whether it was related to the oil.[19]

Authorised Officers

The EP Act allows EPA to appoint individuals to the role of authorised officer. The appointed officers can then exercise powers given to them under the EP Act.

The primary role of EPA’s authorised officers is to ensure that businesses, government and individuals comply with the EP Act. They do this by:

  • inspecting businesses and premises
  • providing guidance and advice about how to comply
  • enforcing the law – requiring risks and impacts to be remedied
  • where necessary, applying sanctions or punishment to deter non-compliance.

EPA has authorised officers working in specialised areas such as motor vehicles and litter, who only exercise powers specific to their roles. See EPA authorisations: roles and powers policy (Publication 1478)[20] for more information.

The EPA Authorised Officers brochure (Publication 1422)[21] provides the community and EPA duty holders, such as EPA licensed and non-licensed businesses, with an easy-to-understand summary of the role and powers of authorised officers.

Informants

EPA informants are authorised officers who lead and conduct major investigations undertaken by EPA. As part of this role, informants:

  • are appointed to undertake legal proceedings in a court of law, on behalf of EPA, for offences against all legislation administered by EPA
  • are delegated the power to issue a notice of contravention to formally advise the recipient that they are contravening a legal requirement and apply a daily penalty. A notice of contravention will be issued where there is a major ongoing contravention and further enforcement action is planned; and prepare briefs of evidence.

Senior staff

Managers and team leaders responsible for licensing, works approvals, permitting, notifiable chemicals and planning referrals, are delegated to decide on applications for approvals and to respond to planning referrals.

Where a remedial notice requires the recipient to undertake works at a cost above a certain level, the power to approve the remedial notice is delegated to specific EPA managers and executives from EPA's Regional Services Directorate, and the CEO.

Sustainability

EPA Victoria's building entrance and green facade

Carbon neutrality

Since 2006, the EPA compensates its carbon emission to become carbon neutral. Every year, it purchases offsets meeting the National Carbon Offset Standard.[22][23][24]

Sustainable building

The EPA's headquarters' building in Carlton was awarded with a 5 star NABERS rating and a 6 Star Green Star Office Design.[25] The building is recognisable thanks to its green facade, and got significant upgrades in 2008 including lighting, rain water harvest and a co-generation plant.[26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "EPA is changing". Environment Protection Authority Victoria. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "Between a rock and a hard place. The story of the development of the EPA", EPA Victoria, 1996, p.13.
  3. ↑ "Education is the first step". The Age. 3 August 1971.
  4. ↑ "All set for clean-up of Victoria". The Age. 20 February 1973.
  5. 1 2 "About EPA". Environment Protection Authority Victoria. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Victoria, Environment Protection Authority. "We all have a duty to prevent harm: general environmental duty | Environment Protection Authority Victoria". Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  7. ↑ Victoria, Environment Protection Authority. "Contact us | Environment Protection Authority Victoria". Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  8. ↑ Victoria, Environment Protection Authority. "Air quality monitoring data across Victoria | Environment Protection Authority Victoria". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  9. ↑ The State of Victoria Department of Environment. "Air quality monitoring - Clean Air Factsheet" (PDF). Land, Water and Planning 2018.
  10. ↑ "Beach Report - Beach Water Quality Forecasts". www.mornpen.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  11. ↑ Victoria, Environment Protection Authority. "Beach Report | Environment Protection Authority Victoria". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Why you should check the water quality before a swim | RACV". @RACV. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  13. ↑ catchments, Water and (6 September 2023). "Our framework for protecting water quality". Water and catchments. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  14. ↑ "New EPA Boat Boosts Frontline Defence | Premier of Victoria". www.premier.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  15. ↑ "Deployments: IMOS.org.au". imos.org.au. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  16. ↑ Victoria, Environment Protection Authority. "Odour and EPA's role | Environment Protection Authority Victoria". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Geraets, Nell (3 June 2022). "Is your suburb on the nose? We sniff out Melbourne's stinkiest parts". The Age. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  18. ↑ Waters, Cara (7 August 2023). "'Permeates entire community': EPA takes landfill to court over offensive odours". The Age. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Geraets, Nell (8 January 2023). "Mystery surrounds vegetable oil spill at Melbourne beaches". The Age. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  20. ↑ "EPA authorisations: roles and powers | EPA Victoria". ref.epa.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  21. ↑ "EPA authorised officers | EPA Victoria". ref.epa.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  22. ↑ "National Carbon Offset Standard". www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  23. ↑ National Carbon Offset Standard for Organisations (PDF). Commonwealth of Australia. 2017.
  24. ↑ Victoria, Environment Protection Authority. "How we manage our greenhouse gas emissions | Environment Protection Authority Victoria". www.epa.vic.gov.au. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  25. ↑ Jewell, Cameron (1 July 2014). "Melbourne's über-sustainable EPA building to be resold at a huge premium". The Fifth Estate. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  26. ↑ SMF (1 July 2014). "Worth a pretty green penny!". Sustainable Australia Fund. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
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