News & Insights
Greencap Assisting EPA Victoria with Small Business Program Pilot (SBPP)
EPA Victoria’s Small Business Program pilot (SBPP) is set up to help businesses prepare for the new environment protection laws that are intended to start 1 July 2021.
Greencap has been engaged to assist participating businesses by providing independent and tailored advice to help ensure that they understand the new laws and how to apply them in practice.
The SBPP includes a site visit and discussions with the business to help them understand:
- How the new environmental laws apply to them specifically
- What they may need to do to comply with the new laws
After the site visit, Greencap prepares a written Action Plan that is tailored for the business and this is followed up with a call to check whether the plan makes sense and if further advice is needed regarding the completion of actions. A final site visit is conducted to check how the business has progressed any recommended actions.
For over three decades, Greencap has utilised their expertise to support businesses to comply with environmental and OHS laws and ensure that their activities are suitably managed to eliminate, or reduce, any risks of harm to the environment and human health. The team helps businesses to identify, assess and manage any activities that may have harmful impacts on people and the environment.
More information on the new environment protection laws
The new Victorian environment protection laws require businesses to proactively manage the risks of harm to human health and the environment, as well as deal with the impacts of pollution and waste after they have occurred. These new laws are the biggest change to environment protection laws since the EPA began in 1971 and will give EPA more powers and tools to prevent risks.
The general environmental duty (GED) is central to the new laws. It requires all Victorians to manage risks to human health and the environment that their activities create. Everyone must take steps to prevent or minimise those risks. For businesses, this may include correctly managing waste or storing chemicals safely. For individuals, this may cover actions such as making sure rubbish from renovations goes to the correct place or keeping household chemicals out of stormwater drains.
You can find out about the new laws here on the EPA website.
Until the new laws take effect, the EPA will continue to regulate under the Environment Protection Act 1970, including all subordinate legislation (regulations and statutory policies including State Environment Protection Policies and Waste Management Policies).
Stay Up to Date
Greencap will be publishing a series of articles detailing changes across key areas of the new regulations including Waste, Contaminated Land, Licences/Permits, as well as the implications for operators within particular industries.
Fill in your details below to receive these articles directly in your inbox
Greencap acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.