Minister’s statement of expectations

The Minister for the Environment’s statement of expectations guides our annual planning. We report our progress through annual reports.

Download the Minister's full statement:

Summary

Build community trust and confidence through transparent, preventative, science-led regulation

• using a risk-based and intelligence-led approach to direct resources to the areas of greatest risk, impact and benefit
• making decisions based on the best available evidence and science, and clearly explaining those decisions
• communicating decisions and regulatory actions proactively, transparently and accessibly
• clearly articulating its role, remit and regulatory approach.

Strengthen a culture of environment protection

• support businesses, communities, and duty holders to understand their obligations
• provide clear, accessible guidance and tools to enable compliance
• promote a culture of responsibility for environment protection across the community.

Hold polluters to account with strong enforcement

• using its full suite of enforcement powers to address serious non-compliance
• ensuring enforcement is timely, proportionate, and risk-based
• taking strong action where conduct is serious, repeated, wilful or poses significant risk.

Support community expectations, social licence and equity

• work with co-regulators and responsible agencies to clarify how businesses can meet community expectations and build social licence to operate
• communicate openly and transparently with communities about EPA processes and decisions that may affect or concern them
• consider cumulative risks of harm and proximity of activities to communities, informed by the best available evidence on risks to human health and the environment
• consider socio-economic and spatial equity, recognising that some communities may be disproportionately impacted by pollution and industrial activity.

Strengthen Victoria’s response to illegal dumping and waste crime

• work closely with co-regulators and other partners, to lead coordinated, system-wide responses to illegal waste dumping and high-risk waste sites
• strengthen prevention, detection and enforcement responses
• improve identification and prioritisation of hotspots, and support place-based interventions
• grow intelligence capability and information sharing with partner agencies, including local government.

Provide leadership, stewardship and oversight of the waste and resource recovery sector to support Victoria’s circular economy

• integrate the Recycling Victoria and EPA functions and review the organisation’s operating model
• deliver the market and infrastructure planning functions under the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021
• address complex waste challenges through strategic interventions, data and intelligence gathering and planning
• prepare for my consideration the next Strategic Plan under section 21 of the CE Act
• facilitate the continued success of CDS Vic.

Support housing, infrastructure, and economic growth

• support priority projects with a collaborative and facilitative approach, with early engagement leading to streamlined assessments
• engage early to support efficient land use approvals and better planning outcomes with timely, practical and science-based regulatory advice
• ensure that development proceeds in a manner that protects human health and the environment.

Respond to climate change

• incorporate climate change mitigation and adaptation considerations into its regulatory approach under the EP Act as required by the Climate Action Act 2017 and outlined in the EPA’s Statement of Regulatory Intent on Climate Change
• support the achievement of Victoria’s emissions reduction targets and climate adaptation objectives, including the Victorian Government’s pledge to reduce methane emissions from landfill
• provide guidance to industry, businesses and the community to meet obligations under the EP Act to manage climate-related risks of harm.

Traditional Owner self-determination and caring for Country

• continue to embed Traditional Owner cultural values as part of the state of knowledge for the protection of the environment.
• work to achieve long-term sustainable collaborations with Traditional Owners and co-design initiatives

Organisational capability and performance

• maintaining an expert, capable and safe workforce
• fostering an inclusive, culturally capable and high-performing organisational culture
• ensuring strong governance, financial management and operational performance
• embedding continuous improvement in regulatory practice, including growing capability in data and intelligence.

Working collaboratively

• continue to work collaboratively with other entities in the environment portfolio
• support the delivery of legislative requirements and Victorian Government priorities.