One of the important issues when it comes to construction worksites is Environmental Compliance. This refers to building companies and contractors complying with current environmental legislation both on a federal and state level. The central piece of federal environmental legislation is called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (or EPBC Act for short).
On state level, the name varies from state to state. In the state of New South Wales, the central piece of legislation governing the environment is called the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997. Refer to your state government’s website for information regarding legislation from your state.
You need to comply with current Environmental Legislation for 2 main reasons.
Firstly, on a legal level, non-compliance can result in serious penalties for the parties responsible. This can range from substantial fines to prosecution. Whether environmental damage was intended or unintended is irrelevant in the eyes of the law. As a result, making sure that you and/or your company comply with legislation is of utmost importance.
Secondly, on a moral level, Environmental Compliance is necessary if we are to preserve the environment for future generations. It’s no secret that human society has reached a crossroads in terms of Environmental Management. Currently, there are serious efforts being undertaken by both government and social groups in order to promote sustainable development. You can play a role in this by complying with environmental legislation.
There are 3 things you can do to be sure that you are complying with current legislation.
If you are living in the state of New South Wales, it is highly recommended that you look at the step-by-step Guide To Developing an Environmental Management Plan on their website.
Whatever you do within the Australian construction industry, you cannot afford to ignore the importance of Environmental Compliance in the success of a construction project.
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[...] you probably don’t have sufficient knowledge about current environmental legislation to assure Environmental Compliance with their environmental plan. As a result, you would probably prefer to leave the job to someone [...]
[...] which enacts legislation whose objective to instill a sense of responsibility in its people. Environmental compliance becomes important for companies and/or contractors if they wish to avoid harsh [...]