Compliance Framework
Compliance Driver
Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW)
Classification
Level 1
University-wide concern. Impacts on reputation and funding.
Associated Legislation
Associated Standards
None
Associated Codes
None
Associated Information
None
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Administrative Information
Administrative Body
NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA)
Administrative Name
Local Office
Administrative Address
Physical Address
85 Faulkner Street
Armidale NSW
Australia, 2350
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 494
Armidale NSW
Australia, 2350
Administrative Phone
131 555
02 6773 7000
Administrative Email
info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Administrative Website
http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au
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General Introduction
VC Compliance Delegate
Jo Scanlan, Chief Operating Officer
Compliance Coordinator
Bradley Nixon, Associate Director Operational Services
Business Units Impacted
Overview
The POEO Act object is to protect, restore and enhance the environment in NSW and to promote public access to information and involvement in environment protection.
There is a broad allocation of responsibilities under the Act between the EPA, local councils and other public authorities. The EPA is made the regulatory authority for:
* activities listed in Schedule 1 to the Act and the premises where they are carried out
* activities carried out by a State or public authority
* other activities in relation to which a licence regulating water pollution is issued.
In nearly all other cases, the regulatory authority is the relevant local council.
The Act also:
- Allocates the drafting and publishing of PEP's (Protection of the Environment Policies) and associated impact statements to the EPA.
- Establishes a system of Environment Protection Licences for the purposes of carrying out scheduled activities (e.g. chemical production, sterilisation activities, waste processing electricity generation, livestock intensive activities, etc) and scheduled development work (development designed to enable scheduled activities to take place on the premises).
- Provides for the issue of environment protection notices (clean-up notices, prevention notices, and prohibition notices) - It is an offence under the Act not to comply with such notices and penalties include sizeable fines.
- Defines a tiered mechanism to classify offences and provides for maximum penalties (eg: to willfully dispose of waste in a manner that harms or is likely to harm the environment is a Tier 1 offence that may attract large fines and potential imprisonment).
- Provides for voluntary and mandatory environmental audits and procedural matters for the conduct of investigations (including scope, associated notice requirements, powers of entry, and duty to provide information).
Compliance Overview