National Environment Protection Council
What is the National Environment Protection Council?
The National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) comprises environment ministers from the Australian Government and each state and territory. The purpose of NEPC is to ensure that:
- Australians enjoy the benefit of equivalent protection from air, water or soil pollution and from noise wherever they live
- business decisions are not distorted and markets are not fragmented by variations in major environment protection initiatives between member governments
NEPC takes a cooperative approach to the management of environmental issues in Australia. More about NEPC
How was NEPC created?
NEPC was an outcome of an Intergovernmental Agreement on the Environment (IGAE), which was reached at a Special Premiers Conference in October 1990 and came into effect in May 1992.
NEPC was incorporated in the Environmental Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) in June 2001. However, because NEPC has law making powers under the NEPC Act it retains its distinct status within the EPHC.
NEPC membership
Membership of NEPC includes environment ministers from the Australian Government and each state and territory. The Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Heritage chairs NEPC. Each NEPC minister has equal voting power. Decisions of NEPC can only be made with a two-thirds majority of ministers. The Australian Government does not have the power of veto.
NEPC meetings
Issues for consideration by NEPC are dealt with in EPHC meetings. Secretariat support, including management of agenda papers and distribution of the minutes and draft action items, is provided by the NEPC Service Corporation.
What are NEPC’s powers?
NEPC has powers to make National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) on:
- ambient air quality
- ambient marine, estuarine and fresh water quality
- the protection of amenity in relation to noise (but only if differences in environmental requirements relating to noise would have an adverse effect on national markets for goods and services)
- general guidelines for the assessment of site contamination
- environmental impacts associated with hazardous wastes
- the re-use and recycling of used materials
- motor vehicle noise and emissions (in consultation with the National Transport Commission)
What are National Environment Protection Measures?
National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs) outline national objectives for protecting or managing particular aspects of the environment.
NEPMs may be a combination of goals, guidelines, standards or protocols. More about NEPMs
Is there a consultation process?
A rigorous consultation process ensures that stakeholders and interest groups, including industry, environmental groups, government agencies, non-government organisations and members of the public are involved in making a NEPM.
How is a NEPM implemented?
After NEPC makes a NEPM, each jurisdiction must enact laws to implement it. The NEPC annual reports describe how each jurisdiction implement the NEPMs.
The National Environment Protection Measures (Implementation) Act 1998 (Commonwealth) (the Implementation Act) gives the Australian Government the power to implement NEPMs on its own land and to its activities.
An independent review of the Implementation Act was presented to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage in December 2004. In 2005-06 the Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) is preparing the Australian Government's response to the review.
What NEPMs already exist?
- The Air Toxics NEPM establishes procedures to collect information regarding certain hazardous air pollutants in order to develop national standards by 2012
- The Ambient Air Quality NEPM establishes ambient air quality standards and monitoring and reporting protocols for listed air pollutants, namely CO, SO2, lead, NO2, photochemical oxidants (measured as ozone), and particulates (PM10). The NEPM aims to use the collected data to establish national air quality standards by 2008
- The Assessment of Site Contamination NEPM establishes national guidelines for assessing contaminated sites. The guidelines seek to provide adequate protection of the environment and human health
- The Diesel Vehicle Emissions NEPM establishes guidelines to assist jurisdictions to develop programs to minimise exhaust emissions from diesel vehicles. The guidelines cover smoky vehicles, emission tests and repairs, audited maintenance, and engine retrofit and rebuild. More about national initiatives to reduce pollution from motor vehicles
- The Movement of Controlled Waste between States and Territories NEPM establishes a nationally consistent approach for tracking controlled (hazardous) waste when it is moved interstate for recovery or disposal. The NEPM specifies procedures for identifying and transporting waste. More about hazardous waste management in Australia
- The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) NEPM assists environmental management by government, industry and the community by providing improved information on released emissions. Since 1 July 1998, many industrial facilities have been required to estimate and report annually their emissions of NPI listed substances. This information is publicly available on the National Database of Pollutant Emissions
- The Used Packaging Materials NEPM provides regulatory support for the National Packaging Covenant, a self-regulatory agreement aimed at improving the recovery, reuse and recycling of used domestic consumer packaging materials. The NEPM ensures that participants in the covenant are not unfairly disadvantaged in the marketplace
Contacts
For information about NEPC contact:
Chief Executive Officer
NEPC Service Corporation
Level 5, 81 Flinders Street
ADELAIDE SA 5000
Telephone: (08) 8419 1200
Facsimile (08) 8224 0912
Email: exec@ephc.gov.au
www.ephc.gov.au
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