Peel Inlet and Harvey Estuary System Management Strategy ...

EPA Report on the Peel-Harvey Progress and Compliance Report, 2003
The EPA records its appreciation to the Expert Review Committee members for
undertaking the difficult task of reviewing the last decade of the operation of the Peel-
Harvey System Management Strategy. The report of the Expert Review Committee
provides an excellent review of progress made in implementing the management strategy
via the Environmental Conditions set down in the Ministerial Statement on the Strategy.
It also provides sound advice on the current state of aspects of the environment,
especially in relation to water quality, as well as advice for the future of integrated
natural resource management and catchment management in WA in general.
The report also discusses and provides general advice on the benefits of Progress and
Compliance reports for both the proponents and the EPA with a view to continuous
improvement in environmental protection and stewardship. Such reviews need to
concentrate on the progress aspect to answer two questions: firstly, has the proponent
implemented the Environmental Conditions in the spirit of environmental stewardship in
accordance with the intent of the Conditions, and secondly, did the EPA “get it right” in
terms of its assessment of the proposal and the environmental objectives, and the advice
it provided. The whole purpose of the EPA’s advice on a proposal, the Environmental
Conditions and the associated proponent commitments is to ensure that the environment
is protected, and, where the proposal being assessed involves environmental restoration,
that the required degree of restoration is being achieved.
Ideally a Progress and Compliance review should be a positive experience for proponents
with the emphasis being on achieving improvements into the future. This can best be
done in association with the EPA, and its outside review specialists, working with the
common aim of achieving continuous improvement in environmental outcomes.
The EPA commends the report of the Expert Review Committee to Government, the
public and to those now involved in management of the Peel-Harvey System as being an
accurate documentation of the history of management of the System. The report provides
a sound basis for action during the next decades.
The EPA accepts and endorses all of the recommendations made to it by the Expert
Review Committee, although not necessarily their precise wording, and many of these
recommendations have been extended by the additional advice provided in this report by
the EPA.
4. THE PROPONENTS, AND GOVERNMENT AS PROPONENT
Under the current Environmental Protection Act, Environmental Conditions cannot be
applied to non-proponents even though they may be crucial to supporting decisions or
management to ensure a successful outcome.
At times, and for very good reasons, a project cannot be made environmentally
acceptable by the proponent’s actions alone, and it is not uncommon for private industry
proponents to find themselves in the position where their project can only be made
“environmentally acceptable” if certain actions are taken by government agencies. In
such instances, if agency management requirements are not funded, proponents can find
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