Environmental compliance - increased surveillance
2613. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for EnvironmentI refer to the Budget Papers page 820, Explanation of Significant Movements, Note 5 regarding increased compliance surveillance, and ask —
(1) Was this surveillance carried out on site, or were more desktop analyses done?
(2) Did the Department of Environment and Conservation do their own monitoring, or rely on information provided by industry?
(3) How many extra staff were allocated to compliance surveillance?
Hon DONNA FARAGHER replied:
(1) The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) uses central and regional staff to undertake premises site inspections as well as desktop analyses. These inspections are part of an annual Industry Regulation Compliance Program for premises licensed under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. Licensees are also required to report emissions performance data to DEC. The type and frequency of reporting varies from premises to premises and is dependent on the type of industry and potential risk to the environment. Licences are also progressively being amended to require licensees to submit an Annual Audit Compliance Report declaring their compliance with licence conditions.All of this documentation assists DEC in completing desktop audits and planning site visits.
(2) DEC conducts sampling and testing either directly or by engaging expert consultants. The need for DEC to undertake its own testing may arise from site inspections, assessment of licence monitoring reports, or an emissions incident. Licence conditions also require licensees to report emissions orambient data to DEC.
(3) Since January 2010, eight new investigators have been hired with six allocated to the Pilbara (1), Midwest (1), Swan (2), South West (1) and South Coast (1) regions, and two in the Environmental Enforcement Unit. This is in addition to the central team of nine staff who assist regional staff in undertaking compliance inspections.