Over the next year, we’re focusing on 6 of the biggest current and future risks to your health and our environment.

Detailed in our Annual Delivery Plan 2023-24, we'll prioritise:

• treatment plant discharges that impact waterways 
• smoke and the burning of agricultural and organic wastes
• odour from landfills and other commercial and industrial activities
• fires at high-risk waste and resource recovery activities
• noise from commercial and industrial activities
• disrupting illicit waste markets.

Read the 2023-24 Annual Delivery Plan.

Targeting our efforts will result in better outcomes

We used science, data, technical expertise, and insights from community and industry to find the pollution and waste issues that cause current concern, as well as emerging risks to human health and the environment.

We’ll continue to monitor and enforce compliance across all our regulatory responsibilities. 

Targeting our resources and efforts this way, we can make the biggest difference for all Victorians.

Find out more about our regulatory approach.

Reducing the impacts to waterways from wastewater treatment plants 

Wastewater is water with sewage or waste in it. The wastewater industry treats waste to reduce impacts on Victorian waterways.

Focusing on high-risk sites, we will work with industry to reduce unplanned discharges and be ready for future risks. 

To guide long-term investment and plant upgrades, we’ll focus on:

• developing a sector-wide understanding of current and future risks
• research into new and emerging contaminants entering wastewater
• assessing treatment technologies to reduce the risk of contaminants entering waterways
• working with industry to assess risk monitoring and management programs.

What industry needs to do

We expect the industry to have a good understanding of risk management. These businesses will need to show they: 

• know the risks posed by their operations
• assess if appropriate controls are in place and are being used
• maintain an understanding of new and emerging risks.

If it's reasonably practicable, they need to consider using new technology and process improvements. This will help to address potential risks.

Reducing the impacts from smoke and the burning of agricultural and organic wastes

We're working to minimise the impacts of waste in the agricultural sector. This includes reducing:

• the impacts of smoke 
• the burning of agricultural and organic wastes. 

Smoke can reduce air quality which may affect people's health.

We understand some areas of regional Victoria can find it hard to access suitable waste disposal services. We’re conducting research and consulting with industry to understand the issues.

This research helps us understand current standards and practices for managing organic wastes. We'll work with government and industry to inform future plans for waste services and regulatory reforms.

What industry needs to do

We expect businesses in the agriculture and forestry sectors to:

• understand the risk of smoke from their activities
• conduct their activity in line with the Environment Protection Act 2017
• this means complying with the general environmental duty, other waste duties and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.

Reducing the impacts of odour from landfills and other commercial and industrial activities

Odour complaints were one of the largest types of pollution reports made to EPA in 2022-23. Landfills were the most reported source.

Other businesses with potential to produce odour include:

• waste transfer stations
• organic waste processing facilities
• petroleum production
• various food and animal product manufacturers.

We’re working to reduce the impacts of odour by analysing data to identify priority sources and affected areas.

We will also deliver campaigns to ensure industry is aware of its obligations and that controls are working. We’ll target businesses at a higher risk of impacting the health of communities.

What industry needs to do

We expect landfills and businesses that may generate odour to: 

• understand the risk of odour from their activities
• understand conditions in which odour might affect the local community
• respond to community concerns as necessary
• assess if appropriate controls are in place and are being used.

Preventing fires at high-risk waste and resource recovery activities 

We're working with industry and co-regulators to prevent fires at waste and resource recovery facilities. 

These fires cause air pollution and can affect our waterways. Fires also impact residents and the operation of waste collection and management services. 

We'll focus on: 

• ensuring these facilities are controlling the risk of harm from fire
• working with partners to raise awareness of legal obligations and what can happen if the industry doesn’t comply
• inspections at high-risk and priority facilities.

What industry needs to do

All waste, recycling, and resource recovery facilities must:

• have a fire management plan and put appropriate controls in place
• report to EPA if there’s a fire or notifiable incident
• comply with the Environment Protection Act 2017, the general environmental duty, other waste duties and the Environment Protection Regulations 2021.

Reducing the impacts of noise from commercial and industrial activities

Commercial, industrial and trade noise can have an impact on people nearby. Different commercial and industrial activities can cause noise, such as: 

• shops 
• offices 
• farms 

• factories and depots

• mines and quarries
• maintenance, waste and energy facilities.

Noise can be a problem when it disturbs people’s sleep or disrupts normal activities. Exposure to ongoing noise can impact your health.

We're working to reduce repeat noise reports from commercial and industrial activities by:

• using data and intelligence to identify major sources affected areas
• targeting education and compliance campaigns to the most common noise sources
• collaborating with councils to improve how we respond to reports of noise.

What industry needs to do

We expect businesses with the potential to generate noise to:

• understand the risk of noise from their activities and comply with their environmental obligations
• understand when noise might affect the local community and address concerns as necessary
• assess if appropriate controls are in place and are being used.

Disrupting illicit waste markets and the strengthening of legitimate waste markets

Waste crime is a growing issue in Victoria. Waste crime can include stockpiling and illegal storage, transport, or use of hazardous waste in large amounts. It is often fraud-based and examples include:

• the misclassification of waste
• misuse of waste transport certificates
• acceptance of prescribed waste at unlicensed facilities
• providing waste removal services and illegally dumping waste
• providing false or misleading information about waste at a licensed facility.

Our understanding of waste crime in Victoria is always evolving. This is because waste criminals often work around the regulatory system.

What we’re doing to disrupt waste crime

We’re continuing to disrupt waste crime through EPA intelligence by:

• using our improved data and intelligence capability to detect illegal activities
• identifying people breaking the law and holding them to account
• targeting inspections and investigations in high-risk waste sectors
• partnering with co-regulators to increase our reach and presence 
• encouraging the community to report any suspicious activity to EPA.

What industry needs to do

Any business involved in waste generation, transport, reprocessing and disposal must:

• understand and conduct their activity in line with their environmental obligations
• hold an appropriate permission if they need one
• report illegal dumping or suspected waste crime to EPA.