On the 22 August 2018, the Victorian Parliament passed the Environment Protection Amendment Bill 2018 which will see a transformation to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria's regulatory oversight.
This Bill introduces the General Environmental Duty which focuses Victorian business, industry and the community on preventing harm. It aims to focus everyone’s effort and accountability on preventing waste and pollution problems replacing the long-standing approach of managing issues after an event has occurred. The Bill requires people to take steps to reduce or eliminate harm to human health and the environment. It will modernise waste management requirements to reduce hazardous waste while improving waste reuse, recovery and resource efficiency. This approach aligns with the principles of a circular economy which is also a focus of the Victorian State of the Environment 2018 Report Waste and Resources chapter currently being prepared.
The Commissioner for Environmental Sustainability Victoria congratulates the hard work of the teams DELWP, the EPA and Minister D'Ambrosio who have worked diligently and tirelessly to deliver this outcome and an important recommendation from the EPA Inquiry and welcomes this Bill which also provides for better access to environmental information and putting the community, human health and the environment at the core of Victoria’s approach to environment protection.
For more information visit: https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/sustainability/independent-inquiry-into-the-epa/ep-bill-2018