Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria has expanded a pilot project partnering officers with councils to investigate local environmental offences.
EPA’s Officers for the Protection of the Local Environment (OPLEs) were matched to 23 councils as part of the pilot, but will now work with all 79 municipalities as an ongoing service.
OPLEs handle smaller-scale pollution issues in communities including dust, odour, noise and localised illegal dumping with a focus on preventative work, reducing illegal chemical and waste stockpiling.
EPA chief executive Lee Miezis says the expansion of the program demonstrated what can be achieved through a partnership approach to environmental protection.
“The program strengthens relationships between EPA and councils, giving faster responses, increased accountability and better outcomes for community, industry and the environment,” he said.
Municipal Association of Victoria president Cr David Clark has welcomed the expansion of the OPLE project.
“This partnership of EPA and councils has already proved its value as a pilot project, and making it an ongoing service that covers the entire state will benefit communities and the environment across Victoria,” he said.
The OPLEs are Authorised Officers with powers under the Environment Protection Act 2017 to issue legally enforceable notices and fines or escalate serious offences for court action or larger sanctions.
Councils participating in the pilot since 2017 have reported faster response times to pollution reports and increased collaboration, information sharing and expertise.
OPLEs addressed more than 1600 reports between 2018 and 2020.
The average time taken to complete an investigation and resolve the incident dropped from 65 days to 22, and members of the public who reported incidents were three times more likely to be satisfied with the result.
Details: epa.vic.gov.au/about-epa/what-we-do/compliance-and-enforcement/local-officers
