Duty to Notify of Contaminated Land – Environment Protection Act 2017

EPA Victoria is coordinating Victoria’s transition to a once-in-a-generation update to environment protection legislation with the introduction of the Environment Protection Act 2017, commencing on 1 July 2021. The EP Act 2017 introduces a new duties-based approach to environment protection. There are two important new contaminated land duties; the duty to manage and the duty to notify. In this session, EPA will walk you through the duty to notify, including the manner and form EPA requires for notifications of contaminated land, with reference to the duty to notify guideline which is due for release shortly before the session.

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Dr Simone Warner, Director of Applied Sciences, EPA Victoria
Dr Simone Warner is the Director of Applied Sciences at EPA Victoria and is currently the Acting Executive Director whilst we await the commencement of the new Chief Environmental Scientist. Dr Warner has over 30 years’ experience across agricultural and environmental science, and currently leads a team of over 120 staff at EPA across a range of environmental sciences including air, water, odour, noise, waste, land, groundwater, data analytics and environmental public health.  The team support many aspects of the work conducted at EPA, and are currently leading the development of the digital risk assessment tool designed to assist in the triaging of contaminated land notifications.

Anne Northway, Senior Applied Scientist – Land & Groundwater, EPA Victoria
Anne Northway has worked for EPA Victoria for over eleven years in various roles within the Applied Sciences Directorate and the Environmental Audit Unit. In her role as Senior Applied Scientist – Land & Groundwater, Anne provides a range of specialist scientific support and expertise to the organisation relating to the contamination of land and groundwater, as well as other issues relating to contaminated sites. Anne has recently been involved in the drafting of contaminated land guidance and drafted the contaminated land subordinate legislation as part of the Environment Protection Act 2017. She previously led groundwater science and policy reviews as part of the State Environment Protection Policy (Waters) Review and has experience in the environmental audit system. Anne developed her knowledge of soil, soil vapour and groundwater assessment and remediation as an environmental consultant, hydrogeologist, project manager, and auditors’ assistant for over 8 years prior to joining EPA Victoria.

SUPPORTING PRESENTERS

Simone and Anne will be supported by Megan Vallas, Acting Manager of Specialist Regulatory Services, EPA’s team of specialist contaminated land and landfill authorised officers, Rolf Bjerkhamn a Senior Field Specialist Contaminated Environments also from Specialist Regulatory Services, and Eleanor Pritchard, coordinating Subject Matter Expert for contaminated land in the Transformation division of EPA Victoria.