Some waste handling businesses will require a licence, permit or registration for the first time with the Environmental Protection Act to start on 1 July.
EPA Director Tim Faragher said the new rules will benefit businesses and help to increase the protection of the environment.
“The majority of the waste industry will need to have applications in by 1 October, so every waste business needs to be doing its homework now,” Faragher said.
“In general, large waste and resource recovery facilities will need an EPA licence, medium-sized operators will need a permit – some of them for the first time – and small businesses will now need to register with EPA.”
Waste operators who will now be required to have formal permits for the first time include landfills servicing less than 5,000 people, transfer stations, and businesses that receive waste for recycling and re-purposing.
Businesses that produce, transport or receive reportable priority waste will need to use the newly introduced waste tracker.
The General Environmental Duty (GED) will also be introduced as part of the act. The duty will guide Victorian households and businesses to prevent levels of pollution.
Permits and registration as part of the act will also form part of the GED, to ensure that high-level waste and health risks can be mitigated.
Supporting documents regarding the new rules can be found here.
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