requires that sound environmental practices and procedures be adopted for ecologically sustainable development by integrating economic, social and environmental considerations in decision making processes;

sets out the precautionary principle – if there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation;

contains principles relating to, among other things, intergenerational equity, shared responsibility, conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity, enforcement and accountability;

establishes the Environment Protection Authority ("EPA") which is responsible for, among other things:

National Environmental Protection Measures (NEPMs);

State Environment Protection Policies (SEPPs);

Industrial Waste Management Policies (WMPs);

Neighbourhood Environment Improvement Plans;

permits;

pollution abatement notices;

minor works pollution abatement notices;

research, development and demonstration approvals and notices;

regional waste management plans;

Licenses;

Works Approvals;

Offences and Penalties;

Enforcement;

Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans;

SEPP (Waters of Victoria)

SEPP (Ambient Air Quality)

SEPP (Air Quality Management)

Industrial Waste Management Policy (Protection of the Ozone Layer)

Waste Management Policy (Solid Fuel Heating)

Environment Protection (Vehicle Emissions) Regulations 2003

SEPP (Groundwaters of Victoria)

SEPP (Prevention and Management of Contamination of Land)

Industrial Waste Management Policy (Movement of Controlled Waste between States and Territories)

Industrial Waste Management Policy (National Pollutant Inventory)

Industrial Waste Management Policy (Prescribed Industrial Waste)

Industrial Waste Management Policy (Waste Acid Sulfate Soils)

Waste Management Policy (Ships’ Ballast Water)

Waste Management Policy (Siting, Design and Management of Landfills)

Waste Management Policy (Used Packaging Materials)

SEPP (Control of Music Noise from Public Premises)

SEPP (Control of Noise from Commerce, Industry and Trade)

Environment Protection (Residential Noise) Regulations 2008:establishes prohibited times for noise to be emitted from certain items;

police member or council officer can direct such action as is necessary to abate or prevent unreasonable noise being emitted from residential premises;

Solid Industrial Waste Management Plans;

Metropolitan Local Government’s Waste Forum;

Part IXA – Transport of Prescribed Waste:

must hold permit to transport prescribed waste;

municipal council may declare that all septic tank systems must be of a type that treats all sewage;

must not construct, install or alter a septic tank without a permit;

may make regulations requiring appliances, products or things that are capable of emitting waste to be labelled to indicate whether they comply with a specified standard of environmental performance;

appointment of environmental auditors to assess the risk of any possible harm or detriment to a segment of the environment caused by any industrial process or activity, waste, substance or noise;

View the whole Act online via Austlii