With new legislation now in effect, it's important to ensure your company understands what the new EPA act means for construction industry activity.
As of July 1 2021, changes to Victorian environmental laws come into effect, and could impact the way your construction site operates.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has announced key changes to the new Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 which will see the General Environmental Duty (GED) now enforceable by law.
What exactly does the change mean for the construction industry?
Basically, the EPA now has more power to issue stronger penalties to those who breach the EPA act. It holds polluters to account, creating a level playing field so organisations doing the wrong thing no longer have a leg up over those playing by the rules.
The GED applies to all Victorians, and states that you must reduce the risk of your activities potentially harming the environment or human health through pollution or waste.
Think of it as like an OHS policy, but for the wider environment.
For businesses already effectively managing their environmental risk, these new laws will see almost no change to daily operations. In this case, the GED will essentially act like a checklist, clearly outlining the risk management responsibilities of each business.
For example, the GED will regulate the following practices:
Chances are, your construction organisation is already complying with the majority of the GED without even realising. The model is underpinned by risk reduction that most companies implement as part of a safe and responsible practice.
But given the hefty penalties attached to the new legislation, it’s worthwhile ensuring your company activity falls in line with the GED.
It is recommended companies conduct an internal review to ensure compliance, including:
A full rundown on what the changes mean to Victorian businesses can be found on the EPA website.
Unlike other Australian States and Territories, it is now a criminal offence for a business to breach the GED in Victoria. The penalties are quite substantial too – up to $363,000 for individuals and as high as $3.2 million for corporations caught committing serious breaches. There are even harsher penalties for reckless or intentional breaches of the GED.
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