Message from the CEO

As I write, EPA staff are responding to the impacts of flooding around the state, especially in managing waste and assessing waters for debris and potential contamination. We are using our expertise to do all we can to assist our communities in their safe recovery and working with many of you on the impacts the floods are having on your operations.
 

Our thoughts are with all the communities who have been affected by the floods. Safety is the number one priority for those in flood impacted areas and we urge our licensees and service providers to be alert to all instructions from Emergency Services.

We have developed a plan to guide clean up in the state’s north and the Hawkesbury River areas, using Strike Teams, similar to the 2021 flood clean up and the NSW Government waste levy has been waived for flood waste from the local government areas that have been subject to natural disaster declarations.

If you would like to discuss your operations and clean up or any ongoing issues please get in touch with us through Environment Line on 131 555 or if you need general flood assistance, call 13 77 88 or visit service.nsw.gov.au

The pandemic has continued to throw up challenges. I can assure our licensees and the community that we are continuing to manage environmental risks and to deliver our important regulatory work. Most recently we have been working with the waste sector around workforce shortages, quarantine and logistics issues to ensure our community waste collection and recycling services continue. If you require assistance or advice particularly if you find you are unable to meet your environmental obligations, please get in touch with us.

I am proud to share with you our Aboriginal Visual Identity in this edition. The identity is a beautiful artwork that acknowledges Aboriginal people as protectors of Country from the beginning and is an expression of our work at the EPA in protecting the environment, and the connection with our First Peoples as co-protectors of our lands, waterways and sky.

We have also punctuated this connection with our First Nations People in the State of the Environment Report, which has just been released. Every three years the EPA produces a significant report on the health of the State’s environment. It covers 22 significant topics with data from 11 government agencies, reporting on progress of environmental health. And in a first, we have included for each topic, words from Aboriginal caretakers of the land. It is data rich and colourful, providing significant online resources for policy makers, teachers and environmental educators, among others. To help bring the new report to life, we ran two webinars this month with 140 interested community and government representatives from across NSW registering.

My regular EPA role as Executive Director of Legal and Corporate Services has given me a special level of excitement around new powers allowing the EPA to take on criminal behaviour through the passing in the NSW Parliament of the Environment Protection Legislation Amendment Act in February. This landmark legislation will ensure tighter surveillance and legal action on those who willingly pollute or harm our environment.

We would be very happy to discuss these changes with our regulated community at our next raft of interactive roadshows, starting in late March. We hope that councils, licensees and anyone from industry regulated by the EPA including radiation users, pesticide technicians or dangers goods transporters, will join us so we can talk about your interests and let you know our plans at the EPA. You can see the schedule here.

Another topic that is always of interest to our readers and stakeholders is waste. We are already working hard this year on the delivery of the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and the ban on single-use plastics with elements coming into force from June. We will be working closely with the waste industry and councils to implement the strategy. Our Waste Delivery Plan outlines how we will work with our partners to deliver on our strategic waste priorities and the Waste Strategy and NSW Plastics Action Plan.

For now, I hope you enjoy all the news in this edition. Please keep safe and stay in touch with us on Stay up to Date on our and via our social media channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

Jacqueleine Moore
Acting CEO NSW EPA