Our regulatory framework: Influence

We influence people, businesses, government, research and science to make changes for better environmental outcomes. We encourage change and innovation through partnerships and collaboration, communication, engagement and behaviour change activities. We provide incentives for people and businesses to protect, restore and enhance the environment.

We are an outcomes-focused regulator. Where an issue is not within our direct regulatory control, we aim to influence outcomes using a range of interventions and advocate for the protection of the environment and human health to be properly considered in behaviours and decisions made by communities, industry, co-regulators and other government agencies.

For example:

  • We work with our regulatory partners (local government, other State and Commonwealth agencies) to influence their activities under environment protection legislation so they are informed by EPA expertise.
  • We provide financial and other incentives for businesses that do the right thing and improve their environmental performance, such as the load-based licensing and risk-based licensing schemes and environmental improvement programs.
  • We encourage changes in behaviour to protect the environment through means such as grants, education campaigns and engaging our stakeholders.
  • We influence significant land-use planning decisions to advocate for better environmental outcomes.

We will bring the regulated and wider community on our stewardship journey through communications, engagement and behaviour change action.

Examples of how we influence