Vic waste management interim safety policy implemented

Safety standards will be improved at Victorian waste and resource recovery facilities, with the introduction of an interim waste management policy (WMP).

The policy will begin immediately and remain in place for 12 months while a permanent policy is finalised.

“We’re lifting standards and guarding against the risk of damaging fires at waste and resource recovery facilities,” said Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio.

“This policy will help the recycling taskforce establish more effective controls at sites that need better protection.”

The policy applies to operators of sites that store combustible recyclable and waste material.

It gives the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) additional powers to support Victoria’s fire services and issue remedial notices to facilities not properly managing potential fire risks. It also requires facilities to store materials in a manner that reduces risk to human health.

The move follows the Victorian government’s appointment of a joint taskforce comprised of the EPA, Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Country Fire Authority and Emergency Management Victoria to audit and assess the fire risk of sites, and ensure local communities are protected.

The interim WMP will provide vital support to the taskforce while it carries out its works and complements the existing powers of councils and fire agencies.

The government is strengthening the EPA to meet Victoria’s needs now and in the future. The Environment Protection Bill 2017, which is currently before parliament, clarifies the EPA’s role as a protector of human health and the environment.

Further reforms to overhaul the Environment Protection Act will be proposed next year. The cornerstone of the new legislation will be a general preventive duty to minimise risk of harm to human health and the environment.