Snapshot
These are some highlights of the EPA and our stakeholders' achievements over the past year.
Forest
We focused on forestry regulation and increased our presence on the ground, and conducted 120 inspections which resulted in commenced five prosecutions.
Flood cleanup
We led a multi-agency response in the NSW flood recovery to manage the clean-up of over 1,000 km of shorelines and support affected communities.
Roadshows
We engaged with 170 licensees, 80 councils and 155 representatives from peak bodies and community groups through genuine in-person conversations at our state-wide roadshow forums.
Litter reduction
Don’t be a tosser campaign has reached 88% of the population and contributed to a 43% reduction in litter volume in NSW since its launch.
Recycling
Bin trim has engaged 7,300 businesses and through their actions to reduce waste and increase recycling they have helped divert more than 25,000 tonnes of waste from landfill..
Licensee inspections
We undertook 97.5% of high-risk/proactive inspections for compliance with environmental standards. This was an increase of 42% since 2016–17.
Prosecutions and environmental undertakings
Prosecuted 59 cases and the courts imposed $1,612,028 in financial and other penalties. We entered into seven enforceable undertakings requiring corrective actions and monetary contributions totalling over $2 million.
Penalties
We issued 2,607 penalty notices for environmental infringements with a total value of $14,630,010 for all penalty notices (including those delivered by other state agencies).