EPA welcomes today’s release of the Ombudsman’s report on her investigation into our approval of Environment Management Plans for sites to receive spoil from the West Gate Tunnel Project.
The Ombudsman has made four recommendations, all of which are accepted in full by the EPA.
We are pleased the Ombudsman found that our assessment of the EMPs was environmentally sound and the approvals met all legislative requirements.
As an independent regulator, the protection of communities and the environment was always at the forefront of our decision making. We would not have approved the EMPs if we weren’t satisfied this would be achieved.
Our approval was based on a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of the risks to human health and the environment, informed by leading science and best practice environmental protection standards.
We accept the finding of the Ombudsman that we should have done more to consult with the local communities. We acknowledge that shortcomings in our engagement approach have caused distress. For that we are sorry.
While our decisions will always be based on science and the law, we have made significant improvements to how we engage with local communities about issues that affect them. This has been acknowledged by the Ombudsman in her report.
We take our role as Victoria’s environmental regulator seriously. EPA prides itself on its independence, balancing environmental and social considerations in protecting Victorians from the harmful effects of pollution and waste.
We will use the Ombudsman’s report and her recommendations to ensure the improvements we are making to our organisation continue. This is part of our ongoing commitment to being a strong, effective, and science-based regulator that Victorians trust and respect.
We are proud of the professionalism and commitment of our team who work hard every day to protect the public and our environment from the harmful effects of pollution and waste.
