How to Demonstrate Environmental Compliance to the Regulators – A Practical Workshop: ADELAIDE – Mar 13, 2014

Summary

Presented by the Australian Environment Business Network (AEBN)
In association with
Proud Principal Sponsor, Minter Ellison Lawyers

Proud Partner, EnviroRisk Management 

Are you confident that you are complying with environmental laws?  Can you demonstrate compliance to the regulators?

With the change of focus of the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Planning Regulator to strict compliance, it is now imperative that industry, business and councils understand their  obligations and are able to demonstrate compliance.

The Australian Environment Business Network (AEBN) has developed this practical one day Workshop to provide you with the tools and procedures to enable you to comply and demonstrate compliance to the regulator.  Environmental lawyers will take you through the legal framework and explain your legal obligations under Environmental and Planning laws; with environmental experts demonstrating how to access and understand the environmental requirements and legislation applicable to your site and business.  The Workshop will include a practical session on developing your own compliance assurance tool kit.  The Workshop will also address how compliance is managed across other states.

Program

• Legal framework –

  • Understanding Environmental and Planning laws –

    • structure of legislation

    • who are the regulators; what do they cover; what are their powers and what does the law say

    • sanctions and penalties – typically applied and maximum

    • case examples of how non compliance is being interpreted and enforced

  • Environment

    • Environmental Acts:  Overview of principal components of pollution based legislation and policy and guidelines relating to Water, Land, Air, Waste, Noise, Climate Change

    • Case study illustrating how EPA is interpreting their responsibilities and enforcing the Act

  • Planning

    • Planning permission to operate: 

      • What the law states;

      • What the planning Scheme permits;

      • What approval conditions typically look like and how long they are enforced for

    • Planning non compliances:  Breaching sanctions and penalties

    • Case study illustrating how Regulators and Courts are enforcing the law, e.g. amenity issues, non conformance use rights

  • Overview of other Acts with Environmental consequences:

    • Extractive industries

    • Groundwater

    • Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act triggers and when does this act apply

    • Case study on how these can influence industrial, commercial and property developments or interfere with existing operations.

•  Compliance Essentials:

  • How to access and understand the environmental rules/legislation applicable to your business and site

• Assessing Compliance:

  • Derivation of standards and permissible limits for your situation

  • Risk based monitoring programs

  • Case study to illustrate obligations

• Monitoring and Reviewing:

  • Extent and frequency of monitoring, review and verify compliance

  • Compliance standards maintenance and audit

  • Reporting processes to the Environmental Regulator required

• Developing your own Compliance Assurance Tool Kit:

  • Components, skill set, scheduling, interpretation

  • Tools to assist verification and reporting

  • Techniques to integrate compliance outcomes, records and training into your Environmental Management System (EMS)

• Review of particular issues captured during the day

• Group discussion of Key Outcomes.

Presenters

• Facilitator – Tina Khoury, CEO Australian Environment Business Network (AEBN)

• Jeremy Hill –  Partner, Minter Ellison Lawyers SA

• Stephen Jenkins, Director, EnviroRisk Management

• Lok Nethercott – Regional Manager SA, EnviroRisk Management

Networking Opportunities

A comprehensive set of course notes will be provided to all delegates as well as the opportunity to Network with presenters and delegates during AEBN’s Networking refreshment breaks.