National Environmental Protection Authority writes its first-year report card

A NEW report tracks the national environmental regulator’s first-year progress against the Australian Government’s compliance and enforcement priorities.

The report, which was released and disseminated by the National Environmental Protection Authority, talks of strong results and a clear platform to build on.

The report assesses progress made during the past year using data from environmental compliance and enforcement cases, audits, intelligence, operations and related programs.

Compliance and enforcement priorities

The review measures progress against the five compliance and enforcement priorities:

– land clearing that was not referred for assessment of its environmental impacts that causes impacts to nationally protected matters, such as threatened species or the Great Barrier Reef.

– non-compliance with Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) project approval conditions that protect threatened species, ecological communities and heritage places.

– failure to secure and manage environmental offsets needed to compensate for impacts to protected matters

unlawful waste exports and harmful ozone and synthetic greenhouse gas emissions.

– illegal wildlife trade and associated organised criminal activity.

“The results demonstrate the value of combining early engagement and education with intelligence-led compliance activities and strong enforcement action,” said John Bradley, CEO of the National Environmental Protection Agency.

One year of targeted regulatory action

Over the past 12 months, education, engagement, monitoring, audits, intelligence activities, investigations and enforcement action were used to prevent environmental harm, encourage compliance, and change behaviour across regulated sectors.

Key outcomes

– almost 500 live wildlife specimens were seized from illegal wildlife trade activities.

– more than $3 million in potential black-market value disrupted through illegal wildlife export detections and seizures.

– 59 compliance audits completed across regulated projects.

– more than 900 EPBC approval conditions assessed through audit and compliance activities, including conditions relating to environmental offsets.

– $473,380 in infringement notices paid for breaches of approval conditions.

– $59,400 in infringement notices paid for failures relating to environmental offsets.

– more than 370 land-use changes detected through remote sensing and other monitoring activities.

– a $55 million land-clearing enforceable undertaking imposed to address alleged non-compliance.

– more than 1200 recycling businesses reached through direct advice and formal education letters to improve compliance with waste export requirements.

– assessed 144 Annual Compliance Reports to test whether approval holders were meeting their obligations.

Priorities for the year ahead

The report identifies opportunities for the National EPA to build on the regulatory achievements and lessons learnt to date as it strengthens its role as Australia’s national environmental regulator.

Over the next 12 months, the National EPA says it will build on these results by improving early detection of environmental harm through advanced technology and collaborative operations.

“We will target the highest-risk areas of non-compliance and use new regulatory tools and penalties to secure stronger environmental outcomes,” the statement said.

“We will work with partner agencies to disrupt the financial drivers of environmental crime, strengthening the way our agency measures real environmental impact.”

The results demonstrate the value of combining early engagement and education with intelligence-led compliance activities and strong enforcement action, according to John Bradley, CEO of the National Environmental Protection Agency.

“Where there is serious or intentional harm to the environment, we will take strong action, as shown by more than $56 million in infringements and enforceable action and the 500 live specimens seized.

“We will build on these results by investing in earlier detection of environmental harm, stronger oversight and a more intelligence-led approach to regulation.

“Our focus over the next year will be on targeting the activities that pose the greatest environmental risks and detecting non-compliance earlier.”