Message from the CEO
As stewards of the environment, we lead by example. And while our role as a regulator is an important part of this, we also work through a much wider lens.
We collaborate closely with our industry stakeholders to achieve positive environmental outcomes. We educate and support both industry and the wider community in their environmental protection endeavours.
As we continue to work towards a circular economy, it’s this collaborative approach that is the real cornerstone of our environmental stewardship. A good example of this is our ongoing support of the annual Coffs Harbour Waste Management Conference. The EPA has been a strong supporter of this event for more than 20 years and has always committed to being there on the frontline to answer people’s questions directly. Another example of our open and collaborative approach is our public consultation process around plastics (look out for the next one in July 2024).
When we work together with industry and community our focus is on outcomes and our ability to be guided by empathy, two things that lie at the very heart of this approach. Empathy, in particular, is a powerful way of understanding exactly what’s at stake for others. It’s an effective way to deeply understand what our stakeholders’ concerns are and to integrate their perspectives into our work. It means listening with an open mind and acknowledging that we don’t know everything. This collaborative approach ensures we will stay open to listening and learning with all our stakeholders.
Of course, it’s still important to have a solid legislative foundation for our work, and the passing into law earlier this year of the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment (Stronger Regulation and Penalties) Bill 2024 is strong testament to this. But I believe we will achieve our best successes by following an empathic, collaborative approach. By engaging deeply with our stakeholders, they will help us identity gaps and opportunities. The challenges we face are often complex and it’s only with meaningful collaboration, insight and dialogue that we can be effective environmental stewards as we work to protect tomorrow together.
Tony Chappel
NSW EPA Chief Executive Officer