The Environment Protection Amendment Act 2017 (the Act) came into effect on 1 July 2021. It is:
Focused on prevention
The general environmental duty (GED) is central to the new Act and applies to all Victorians. You must reduce the risk of any activities which may harm the environment or human health through pollution or waste.
Occupational health and safety (OHS) laws, which many businesses use and are familiar with, was the template for building the GED.
Flexible and risk-based
The new Act has a more flexible approach to issues of compliance. As far as reasonably practicable, you must reduce your activities’ levels of risk to human health and the environment.
Businesses will have to manage risks specific to their sites. Individuals will have a duty to prevent harm from their activities. They’ll also have stronger rights to protect their interests.
Transparent
EPA embeds our values of openness and accountability in the service we provide to the Victorian community.
The Act makes sure the public can access more environmental information. This means EPA can help you better understand the state of the environment and how we make regulatory decisions.
Focused on justice
The Act contains a greater range of penalties. It allows for review of decisions and encourages broader participation in decision making.
Courts will be able to order offenders to repay profits resulting from prior illegal activity. They can also order offenders to take part in a community project.
Read more about protecting the environment and human health
What the new Act means for Victorian businesses
What the new Act means for the Victorian community
We all have a duty to prevent harm: general environmental duty
Reviewed 6 September 2021
