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EPA Implementation of Ombudsman Recommendations

For an update on landfill works and residential support:

City of Casey
Customer Service Centre
Ph: 9705 5200
www.casey.vic.gov.au External site link

To report pollution from the landfill:

EPA Victoria
Pollution Watch Line
Ph: 9695 2777

Ombudsman's Recommendations - Progress Update

As at January 2012, EPA’s progress in implementing the 37 recommendations is as follows:

  • Twenty recommendations are implemented and complete.
  • Fourteen recommendations are currently being implemented. The implementation of these recommendations is largely via major reform projects including EPA’s Business Systems Reform and the implementation of recommendations contained in the Compliance and Enforcement Review.
  • Three recommendations are being addressed via a whole-of-Government approach.

 

Issues raised by Ombudsman

Reforms undertaken

EPA’s statutory decision-making, including process and consistency issues relating to works approvals, licences and licence amendments.
  • EPA has centralised statutory decision-making and strengthened governance arrangements relating to works approval decisions, including a peer review process, new works approval guidelines and updated delegations.
  • EPA’s licence reform project is reviewing and reissuing all EPA licences with standardised conditions, which are more readily enforceable. All licences will be reviewed and reissued by early 2012. To date, 97 per cent of licences have been reissued.
  • EPA has introduced Annual Performance Statements, requiring licensed sites to report on their environmental performance and have the statement signed off by the most senior officer of the organisation.  False or misleading information may result in fines and/or imprisonment.

EPA’s record keeping and file management systems.

  • EPA is undertaking a Business System Reform program, including the implementation of a client information management system.

EPA policies regarding the design and management of landfills, particularly as they relate to buffers and the risks associated with landfill gas migration.
  • EPA’s review of the Best Practice Environmental Management - Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills (the BPEM) identified a number of areas that required strengthening or updating. These included landfill gas management; buffer distances; and enhanced degradation, alternative capping and liner technologies. The new BPEM was released on 28 September 2010.

EPA’s approach to compliance and enforcement, including issues regarding the appropriateness of using collaborative action versus enforcement and a need for clear frameworks for decision-making and escalation.
  • EPA undertook a major enforcement and compliance reform project, incorporating the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s and recent VAGO reports. Having engaged an expert external consultant the final report was handed to EPA on the 31 December 2010. The report listed 119 recommendations which EPA accepted. As of December 2011, 44 of these have been implemented.

Further Information