Authors: Johanna Kennerley, Senior Associate & Timothy Bowles, Law Graduate
The Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 (Vic) (EP Act), which has just been passed by the Victorian Parliament, will be the most significant change to Victorian environmental law since the adoption of the Environment Protection Act 1970 (Vic) nearly 50 years ago.
The EP Act increases regulatory compliance burdens for businesses, toughens the Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) ability to pursue offenders, and allows third parties to restrain breaches of the environmental protection regime.
The EP Act contemplates what is effectively an entirely new regime for environmental compliance. Businesses in Victoria must ensure that they are ready to comply with the new obligations.
