Barry Buffier, Chair and CEO
NSW EPA

In other news, the EPA’s commitment to protecting our community and the environment has once again been demonstrated with a record-setting year of financial penalties and successful court challenges. You can read about our latest successful prosecution against Clarence Colliery in this edition.

Also in this edition we look at how the Urunga wetlands on the mid-north coast are flourishing once again, a new lead-contaminated dirt disposal option for residents of North Lake Macquarie and profile our partners Keep NSW Beautiful.

Thanks to all our readers who shared their views on the future look and feel of EPA Connect. Over the coming months you’ll start to notice some changes that we hope you’ll like. As always, you can let us know what you think by emailing epa.engagement@epa.nsw.gov.au.

Finally, I wanted to touch on the recent Four Corners episode “Trashed: the dirty truth about your rubbish” that aired on ABC. While NSW has some of the strongest waste regulations in the country, the program contained allegations of corruption in the waste industry and implied that the EPA had acted corruptly through inaction.

The integrity of the EPA is paramount to continuing our work as the state's environmental regulator and upholding the community’s trust. As such, I have referred this matter to ICAC.   

Illegal dumping is an environmental crime. It leads to pollution, risks human health and leads to unsightly community spaces. Combating illegal dumping is of the highest priorities for the EPA, and we are working across the government, and with many of you, to reduce the number of incidents by 30 per cent by 2020.

We have the toughest waste regulations in the country, and I have the upmost confidence in the work that the EPA does to regulate the waste industry, monitor compliance and take enforcement action.

Regards
Barry Buffier