A new statutory policy, industrial waste management policy (Protection of the Ozone Layer) came into operation on 5 November 2001. The new policy follows on from EPA's review of the Victorian ozone protection framework, which has been in place since the late 1980s. The new policy updates and refines Victoria's management framework for users of ozone-depleting substances to minimise consumption and emissions of these substances. The new policy will help ensure that Victoria continues to play its part in meeting Australia’s international obligations under the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.