From the CEO
Welcome to the latest edition of EPA Connect. A new Board Chair, a new communication style and new directions for the EPA including a commitment to become carbon neutral - it has been an active couple of months since our last edition.
(L-R) New Chair Rayne de Gruchy and CEO Tracy Mackey
We were pleased to welcome Ms Rayne de Gruchy AM PSM to the role of Board Chair in October. Rayne has come from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and has already visited several key industries that the EPA licenses in southern NSW to see first-hand some of the work we do and the challenges our stakeholders face. You can read more about Rayne and her observations so far in this edition.
In the most recent edition of EPA Connect I introduced the EPA’s ambition to be a world class regulator and, as a part of this, our commitment to improve how we work with all stakeholders including local councils, community and regulated entities. We want to be more approachable, accessible and educational, and this shift includes a new natural, clean and simple style in communication together with how information is presented to make it easier to access.
I am also pleased to announce that we will be coming to a location near you as part of our local government and regulated entities roadshow forums in February and March 2021. We’ll be sharing details of our new Regulatory Strategy, providing an opportunity to answer questions from attendees and discussing local issues and how we can best work together to continue to protect the community and environment.
I echo comments made recently by our Environment Minister Matt Kean that the EPA is committed to taking tough regulatory action where blatant breaches of the regulations occur. The EPA’s strong record of outcomes in our regulatory work continues with the testament of 42 penalty infringement notices, 14 prosecutions and six enforceable undertakings over the past year.
In this edition we explain some of our more recent regulatory actions and prosecutions, including the highest fine imposed by the Court for pesticide misuse, and the prosecution of Forestry Corporation of NSW for breaching its licensing requirements to protect koala habitat.
And, as an organisation we’ve committed to going carbon neutral. You can read more about what it means to be carbon neutral and how your organisation or company can also strive for this in News Round.