Environmental Services

Environmental Services

The Environmental Services function is responsible for providing strategic, tactical and professional environmental advice and support services to CFA while ensuring environmental and other associated legislative compliances are met and maintained.

This is achieved through:

  • Delivery of CFA's Environment Policy
  • Reporting activities to regulators
  • Implementation of ERAP
  • Coordination of CFA's involvement in whole of government climate change pledge and actions
  • National Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Scheme (NGERS) & Financial Reporting Direction 24 (FRD24) annual reporting
  • Managing and maintaining the relationship with EPA, including undertaking projects to meet existing EPA Clean Up Notices (CUN)
  • Support sustainability activities as required
  • Management of compliance and monitoring activities for the VEMTCs and Fiskville post ECP

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Please contact enviro@cfa.vic.gov.au with any specific queries.

Note: This page replaces the previous Environmental Compliance Program (ECP) information page, with any outstanding work remaining from this program being closed out or transitioning to BAU as required.

EPA Act (2017)

The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) Act 2017, came into effect 1 July 2021 with EPA having increased powers to prevent harm to public health and the environment from pollution and waste.

The Victorian Government undertook a public inquiry into EPA and released its final conclusions in 2016. Feedback received indicated that Victorians wanted a world class regulator that prevents harm to the environment and public health. EPA has now committed to work with Victorians to deliver that vision.

Enhanced powers from the Act will be used by EPA to prevent risks to the environment and human health, with increased sanctions and penalties to hold environmental polluters to account.

In summary, the new laws include:

  • The General Environmental Duty (GED) which applies to all Victorians
  • Duty to manage contaminated land
  • Duty to notify EPA of known contamination above prescribed levels

Our CFA mission is to 'protect lives and property' and with the introduction of the new laws under the EPA Act, CFA must ensure a safe working environment is provided for our staff and volunteers by identifying, assessing and mitigating risks to our members while at CFA sites and performing their duties during incident response.

CFA is being supported by EPA to meet its obligations under the Act as we continue to work towards creating a great place to volunteer and work.

CFA's Obligation

The General Environmental Duty (GED) is at the centre of the Act. It applies to all Victorians, including organisations such as CFA, and we must reduce the risk of our activities potentially harming the environment or human health through pollution or waste.

In relation to CFA, the most significant changes to our responsibilities are:

  • Correct waste disposal - waste produced must be transported to a place that can lawfully receive it. Obligations and penalties apply to ensure waste is properly managed.
  • Reporting pollution - 'notifiable incidents' must be reported to EPA as soon as reasonably practicable.
  • Managing contaminated land - the duty to manage and the duty to notify relate to the minimisation of contamination on sites managed by CFA.

The GED is criminally enforceable and serious consequences apply for failure to adhere to the duty to notify and manage contaminated land.

The Environmental Services team will be managing CFA's compliance to the new EPA updates.

General Environmental Duty (GED)

The GED applies to all Victorians, individuals and businesses. If you conduct activities that pose a risk to human health and the environment you must understand the risks and take reasonably practicable steps to eliminate or minimise them.

CFA has a responsibility to:

  • Respond to pollution incidents we have caused and notify EPA
  • Manage contaminated land, including: Excavating contaminated soil, and disturbing underground tanks
  • Notify EPA of contaminated land
  • Identify, assess and control risk
  • Manage waste

Reasonably practicable is defined as having implemented proportionate controls to eliminate the risk of harm and action may include:

  • Eliminating or changing the source of risk
  • Engineering or building controls
  • Training and safe site practices
  • Combination

Further information on the General Environmental Duty

 

Contact Us 

Environmental Services can be contacted on enviro@cfa.vic.gov.au for all enquiries

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Water Monitoring Results

Independent water testing is conducted regularly at all of the VEMTC training campuses. Targeted, regular monitoring both on and off site, ensures that the CFA’s management and treatment plans remain effective and relevant.

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FAQs

Frequently asked questions in regards to what CFA does in Environmental Services

 

 

Page last updated:  Wednesday, 17 July 2024 2:27:45 PM