What the Act means for the Victorian community
The Environment Protection Act 2017 has changed how we regulate pollution, waste and contamination.
The Environment Protection Act 2017 (the Act) introduced environmental protections for all Victorians. It includes improved obligations and protections for the community.
We all have environmental duties
The general environmental duty (GED) is at the centre of the Act. It applies to all Victorians. The GED requires you to reduce the risk of your activities harming the environment or human health.
There are many ways you can comply with the GED. For example:
- Consider the impact of noise or wood smoke on your neighbours.
- Keep your wastewater or septic system in good working order.
- Manage risks when excavating if you think your land might be contaminated.
Examples of what it means to comply with the GED
Simon stores petrol for his lawnmower in a jerrycan in his back shed. To comply with the GED, he makes sure to seal it. This prevents it from leaking into the creek behind his house.
Lucy and Stephen have a property with an old septic tank system. They check the condition of the system to make sure there aren’t any leaks. They also pump it out so it doesn’t overflow. When more people move onto the property, they increase the system’s capacity to prevent overflows or leaks.
Maurice is a self-employed mobile car detailer. He has greater responsibilities under the GED. This is because managing environmental risks should be part of running any business. See more on what the laws mean for businesses.
Contact us if you have questions about subordinate legislation and industry guidance development. You can also contact us with general questions about the laws.
Managing your waste the right way
Community waste can harm land and waterways. This includes illegal dumping of waste from home renovations and construction work. It also includes waste from leaks, runoff, spills and the poor disposal of paints, pesticides and solvents.
Under the Act, everyone has a responsibility to make sure their waste goes to the right place. We all need to:
- take care when recycling or disposing of waste
- keep waste, paint and solvents away from waterways
- take care when engaging waste disposal or skip bin companies.
When you can’t discard your waste using your kerbside collection:
- check with Sustainability Victoria about waste disposal options
- contact your council for local options
- take steps to dispose of the waste in the right way.
Examples of how to manage your waste the right way
Charlotte is painting her home. To comply with the GED, she makes sure to dispose of any left-over paint with care. She does this at her local council transfer station. She doesn’t pour it into her street’s stormwater drain.
Waleed is renovating his home and wants to hire a skip bin. He must take reasonable steps to ensure the bin operator is taking his waste to a proper place.
Have your say through EPA’s consultation process
EPA has developed a Charter of Consultation to help you have your say in decision making. The Charter of Consultation (publication 1928) is EPA’s commitment to consultation with Victorians. It outlines key parts of our laws that require or may benefit from consultation and describes how EPA may undertake such consultation.
Read more about the Act
What the Act means for Victorian businesses
We all have a duty to prevent harm: general environmental duty
Reviewed 4 October 2022
