The following policies and guidelines set out specific details about how the EPA operates.
Guidelines on EPA use of unmanned aircraft
On 8 November 2017, changes were made to the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 that make it clear that EPA authorised officers can use an unmanned vehicle, vessel or aircraft to carry out their functions.
The EPA’s Guidelines on EPA use of unmanned aircraft (PDF 438KB) seek to strike the appropriate balance between safety, privacy and efficiency. (Unmanned aircraft are commonly referred to as ‘drones’.)
These guidelines outline
- the situations in which the EPA may consider using unmanned aircraft to collect information or assist with its regulatory functions
- the legal frameworks that regulate unmanned aircraft use, which the EPA will abide by
- how the EPA will conduct and manage unmanned aircraft activities
- the systems the EPA has in place to ensure its use of unmanned aircraft is transparent, accountable, and safe, with minimal impact on people’s privacy
- the situations in which the EPA may use unmanned aircraft to enter premises without owner or occupier knowledge
Monetary benefit orders
Under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act), the EPA can seek a court order to recover the monetary benefits an offender gained from committing an offence (section 249) once they have been found guilty of the offence in the Land and Environment Court. Monetary benefits are the financial advantage an offender gained over their compliant competitors.
The EPA has developed a robust, standardised and transparent process for calculating and recovering monetary benefits in appropriate cases.
- See more about monetary benefit orders
