Compliance Overview

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
Return to Top 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
Return to Top General Introduction
VC Compliance Delegate Meredith Parry, Chief Operating Officer
Compliance Coordinator Suzannah Mitchell, Environmental Sustainability Manager
Business Units Impacted
  • Academic Development
  • Accounting
  • Advancement, Alumni and Events
  • Ag360
  • Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit
  • Australian Business Research Institute
  • Brand Partnership and Business Development
  • Business Intelligence and Analytics
  • Business Services
  • Campuses
  • Careers & Employability
  • Centre for Agriculture and Law
  • Centre for Animal Research and Teaching
  • Centre for Applied Research in Social Science
  • Centre for Local Government
  • Client Services
  • Collaborative Research Centres
  • Computational Analytics Software Infomatics
  • Controlled Entities
  • Corporate Communications and Events
  • Cotton Catchment Communities CRC
  • CRC for Beef Genetic Technologies
  • CRC for Spatial Information
  • Curriculum and Academic Management
  • Data Services
  • Digital Education
  • Education Enterprise
  • Education Futures
  • Education Quality Directorate
  • English Language Centre
  • Enterprise Architecture
  • Estate and Built Environment
  • Examinations Office
  • Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education
  • Faculty of Medicine and Health
  • Faculty of Science, Agriculture, Business and Law
  • Finance Strategy and Business Intelligence
  • Graduate Research School
  • Heritage Futures Research Centre
  • Information Security
  • Infrastructure Services
  • Institute for Rural Futures
  • Integrated Services and Operational Intelligence
  • Internal Audit
  • Legal Services
  • Library Services
  • Office of Strategy and Management
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer
  • Office of the Chief Operating Officer
  • Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor
  • Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research)
  • Office of the Director Governance and University Secretary
  • Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous
  • Office of the Vice-Chancellor and CEO
  • Oorala Aboriginal Centre
  • Operational Reporting
  • People and Culture
  • Poultry Hub
  • Procurement
  • Records, Policy and Governance Unit
  • Research Centres and Institutes
  • Research Services
  • Rural Properties
  • School of Education
  • School of Environmental and Rural Science
  • School of Health
  • School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
  • School of Law
  • School of Psychology
  • School of Rural Medicine
  • School of Science and Technology
  • SportUNE
  • Strategic Partnerships & Business Development
  • Strategic Projects Group
  • Student Grievance Unit
  • Student Journey
  • Student Pathways
  • Student Services
  • Technology and Digital Services
  • The National Centre of Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education
  • Treasury
  • UNE Archives & Heritage Centre
  • UNE Brand and Marketing
  • UNE Business School
  • UNE Council
  • UNE Foundation Limited
  • UNE Foundation Trust
  • UNE International
  • UNE Life Healthcare Centre
  • UNE Life Pty Ltd
  • UNE Marketing
  • UNE Partnerships Pty Ltd
  • UNE Professional Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd
  • UNE Residential System
  • University Secretariat
  • Vechile Management Services
  • Yarm Gwanga
Overview MADE INACTIVE - refer to D25/39134

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).