We're an independent statutory authority under the Environment Protection Act 2017. Our role is to prevent and reduce harm from pollution and waste.
Under the general environmental duty, everyone has a responsibility to reduce the risk of harm their activities have on the environment and human health. This includes disposing of household waste and reporting pollution and waste. Our role is to raise awareness and educate the community about this responsibility.
We're also responsible for environmental public health in Victoria. This means the ways in which the environment – particularly pollution and waste – can impact people’s health, such as air and water quality, land contamination, noise, odour, and pollution incidents.
We do not provide information about human diseases and other health matters. That’s the role of the Department of Health.
Information and advice
We provide information to:
- raise awareness about our role, functions and law enforcement activities
- build a positive environmental protection culture
- facilitate dialogue and drive continuous improvement
- communicate about the state of the environment, environmental risks and how to respond to them.
We provide access to reliable and relevant information to help you understand the harm to human health and the environment, the impact of our daily, and what we do about it. This includes:
- how environmental laws pretect the environment and human health
- how to make informed decisions about your health
- how to do the right thing with household waste
- how to report pollution and waste
- current air, water and land quality in Victoria
- current incidents and issues affecting air, water and land quality in Victoria
- what happens when people do not comply with the law.
We also give advice about environmental public health risks, such as:
- dust, odour and noise from commercial or industrial sources
- smoke and poor air quality
- non-infectious disease related to pollution or waste
- biological agents related to pollution and waste, for example to sewage
- clinical (infectious) waste
- contaminated land
- risks of recreational swimming and fishing
- risks of waste management and landfills.
The information we provide is based on our activities, which include:
- investigating emerging contaminants and other hazards related to pollution and waste
- monitoring air and water quality
- reporting on public pollution and waste
- collecting and analysing data to prevent and monitor health impacts from environmental conditions
- providing technical support in emergencies.
We provide this information through our media channels, including social media and this website.
We publish regulatory information on our Public register. This includes information about:
- permission decisions
- court proceedings
- environmental audits
- compliance codes
- position statements
- other information issued under the Environment Protection Act.
Our Regulatory communications and engagement policy has more information.
Public consultation
As Victoria’s environmental regulator, we make decisions about how to protect the environment from pollution and waste. These decisions impact our community. We provide opportunities to involve the community in these decisions and take their interests into account.
Consultation is vital to connect our activities, standards and decisions to the concerns and values of Victorians. Consultation makes it possible for us to listen, learn and consider the best ways to protect our environment from the harmful effects of pollution and waste.
Anyone whose interests are affected by our decisions has a right to be involved in the decision-making process. Our role is to:
- make the community aware of and help them understand current issues and proposals
- provide suitable opportunities for public participation in decision-making.
Ways we do this include:
- supporting permission applicants to consult with the community during the application process
- publishing our development licence applications on Engage Victoria
- making information about our decision-making and regulatory activities available on our Public register, including current advisory panels, court proceedings, environmental audits and permission decisions.
We're also committed to explaining how matters raised during consultation have affected our decisions.
Our Charter of consultation has more information.
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