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Who is the EPA?
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA) of the Northern Territory was established in 2008 by the Environment Protection Authority Act. The EPA has a mandate to advise the Minister, community and businesses on the ecologically sustainable development of the Northern Territory. The EPA is currently comprised of an independent Board of four expert advisors.
The EPA does not have a regulatory role but rather functions to make sure that the people and systems put in place to look after the environment are doing their job. In preparing advice the EPA responds to specific and immediate issues by accepting public and Ministerial referrals and also conducting strategic research into emerging and/or systemic issues that may impact on the sustainable development of the Northern Territory.
In compiling its advice the EPA must give regard to:
- The principles of ecologically sustainable development
- The adoption of objectives, targets and standards for environmental management that are soundly and scientifically based and consistent with good practice
- Promotion of integration and certainty and reduction of duplication of government process
- Decision making frameworks that integrate long and short term economic, environmental and social equity considerations
- Consideration of the global dimensions and regional variations of environmental impacts
- Development of a Northern Territory economy that is strong, growing and diversified with a well informed private sector with capacity to protect the environment
- Maintenance and enhancement of the Territory’s international competitiveness in an environmentally sound way
- Adoption of cost effective and flexible policy instruments
- Engagement with the diverse Territory community in relation to issues affecting that community
- Transparency in information availability and decision making and monitoring and reporting on outputs and outcomes
- Government economic policies and priorities for the Territory