Nepc annual Report 2014-15



Annual Report 2014–2015

© Copyright vests in the Commonwealth of Australia and each Australian state and territory.

ISBN: 978-1-921069-01-7

This work is copyright. It has been produced by the National Environment Protection Council (NEPC). Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior permission from the NEPC.

Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to:

Executive Officer

NEPC Business Services
PO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601

Image credits

Front cover (clockwise from top left)
Loy Yang power station, Traralgon
Groundwater salt interception scheme, Buronga NSW
Dune regeneration, Leighton Beach WA
Electronic waste collection, ACT
Organic recycling project, ACT

Back cover (left to right)

Mugga Lane recycling, ACT
Spraying salvinia, Currency Creek NSW
Fuel consumption label
Chair’s Foreword

The National Environment Protection Council (NEPC) was initiated as part of a Government agreement to ensure appropriate environmental measures are in place to protect the Australian people. The National Environment Protection Measures (NEPMs), are nationally consistent environmental standards, goals, or protocols relating to air, water, noise, site contamination, hazardous waste and recycling.

In 2014, NEPC signalled its intention to vary the Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) NEPM (created in 1998), in relation to the standards for air particles, reflecting the latest scientific understanding on health risks arising from particle pollution. The Ambient Air Quality NEPM establishes a nationally consistent approach to the development of benchmarks against which progress in managing air quality, including particle pollution, can be assessed.

The purpose of the variation is to update the AAQ NEPM to ensure that it reflects the latest scientific understanding to allow for adequate levels of health protection against the impacts of particle air pollution for the Australian community. This work will help to improve ambient air quality which is essential to the protection of the Australian population.

The post-2015 work programme will continue to see NEPC play an important role in planning, developing, and revising NEPMs as necessary to assist in the protection of the Australian environment and the health and wellbeing of the community. NEPC will also continue to remain involved in considering and implementing an integrated, national approach to key environmental issues.

Greg Hunt

Chair
National Environment Protection Council
Members of the National Environment Protection Council

From 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015

Jurisdiction	Member	Duration of membership
Commonwealth	The Hon. Greg Hunt MP Minister for the Environment	Full year
New South Wales	The Hon Mark Speakman MP NSW Minister for the Environment	2 April 2015–30 June 2015
	Hon. Rob Stokes MP Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage	1 July 2014–2 April 2015
Victoria	The Hon Lisa Neville MP Minister for Environment, Climate Change, and Water	4 December 2014–30 June 2015
	The Hon Ryan Smith MP Minister for Environment and Climate Change	1 July 2014–29 November 2014
Queensland	The Hon Steven Miles MP Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection; Minister for National Parks and the Great Barrier Reef	14 February 2014–30 June 2015
	The Hon Andrew Powell MP Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection	1 July 2014–13 February 2015
Western Australia	The Hon Albert Jacob MLA Minister for Environment; Heritage	Full year
South Australian	The Hon Ian Hunter MLC Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation	Full year
Tasmania	The Hon Matthew Groom MP Tasmanian Minster for Environment, Parks, and Heritage	Full year
Australian Capital Territory	Mr Simon Corbell MLA Minister for the Environment Sustainable Development	Full year
Northern Territory	The Hon Gary John Higgins MLA Minister for the Environment	4 February 2015–30 June 2015
	The Hon Peter Chandler MLA Minister for the Environment	30 June 2014–4 February 2015