June Newsletter

Monitoring applications galore! This month we had an interesting webinar on the General Environmental Duty (GED) and what it means for facility operators in Victoria. It’s clear the GED and compliance obligations are becoming tougher.

Insights into the operation of the compliance framework under the EP Act, 3 years post-commencement, indicate that whilst the changes have been around for a while now, awareness into what these mean for industry is only just starting to ramp up.  There are many obligations for industry: identifying key risks of an operation, developing a strong (but practical) environmental management system, and recognising the requirements of operating permits. Old news you may say! Well sort of, but when the lawyers let us know our obligations (as  Jacqueline Plant, Partner – Norton Rose Fulbright so eloquently did) it brings a heightened sense of urgency to the matter. Being able to measure and prove operational and environmental performance has never been more important. This month, HydroTerra has seen a marked increase in clients and consultants seeking advice on the potential benefits of using technology for monitoring for this purpose.

We enjoy sharing our knowledge of monitoring technology options from around the world and how it can be applied to assist industry.  We don’t know everything of course! What was particularly pleasing this month, was sharing knowledge with other organisations from around the world who we have recently built collaborative partnerships. Thank you to all who have reached out to collaborate and support us to help solve Australia’s monitoring challenges. A big thankyou to NKE – Aquaread water quality specialists who visited us this month.