The first day of July marked the date a new Environmental Protection Act came into effect.
Environment Protection Authority Victoria director Tim Faragher said the new rules offered simpler and cheaper features for business.
“The majority of the waste industry will need to have applications in by October 1, so every waste business needs to be doing its homework,” Mr Faragher said.
“And EPA is helping out — there’s a guidance document to show you how, available from our website.”
In general, large waste and resource recovery facilities will need an EPA licence, medium-sized operators will require a permit, and small to first-timers will need to simply register.
Businesses which never needed to get permission from the EPA but do now include those receiving waste for recycling and re-processing, including metal recyclers and auto-wreckers.
The more dangerous your waste, the quicker EPA will be contacting you and expecting you to get onboard with the new laws.
In general, permissions under the old legislation will be automatically transitioned to equivalent permissions under the new Act.
The next 12 months will continue to be a transition period for the EPA and the Victorian waste industry.
The EPA website will continue to add new support information as the system is modernised, including:
● An online portal for self-service applications.
● Registers will be issued within 24 hours, with no separate EPA assessment to slow down approval.
● Full digital integration allows Waste Trackers permits and registrations to be used immediately.
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