EPA is launching a new Regulatory Strategy

The final Regulatory Strategy will be available in early July

It outlines our purpose, guiding principles and approach to improving the environment and human health outcomes. It sets out what you can expect from us, why we regulate and how we do it.

The Regulatory Strategy reflects new and existing challenges in environmental regulation and our broader role beyond environmental compliance.

CEO Tracy Mackey has set the ambition for the NSW EPA to become a world class regulator by improving our regulatory approach.

“We know we need to work closely with community, industry and other government agencies to influence and enable positive outcomes for our environment,” Ms Mackey said.

EPA Board Chair Rayne de Gruchy said: "The EPA plays a vital role in protecting the community and the environment and has its sights clearly set on ensuring not only that polluters are held to account, but also to influence business, government and the community on the right kinds of behaviours to both protect and enhance the natural environment.”

The EPA consulted on a draft Regulatory Strategy during February and March and received 315 submissions. We also collected valuable feedback from council and industry representatives at the EPA Roadshow forums. We heard it’s important that we educate the community, industry and government about human health and environmental issues and empower decision making for people to take environmental outcomes into account in their businesses and practices. We need to act to investigate problems by partnering with research organisations, community, industry and government, using sound science.

The views we received on our approach to improving environmental regulation are highly valued and will also inform how we will implement the Regulatory Strategy as well as our other priorities.

We are also developing a Regulatory Policy for release later in 2021 that will sit under the Regulatory Strategy. It will describe many of the tools we use under each element of our regulatory approach. The Policy will explain what we consider when the EPA makes regulatory decisions.