Regulators unite
EPA regulators and scientists presented at the recent conference of the Australasian Environmental Law Enforcement and Regulators Network (AELERT).
The theme was Regulating Towards 2050: Working Together to Face Emerging Challenges. More than 300 delegates from across Australia, New Zealand and further afield, attended the conference in Sydney.
Acting Director People, Strategy and Performance Sophie Martin spoke with AELERT Chief Executive Adam Gilligan about shared learnings and engagement in communities with lead smelters. This followed her visit to Trail in British Columbia, Canada earlier this year to tour the lead and zinc smelter run by Teck.
Sophie was joined virtually by Clare North from Teck, Michelle Laurie from the Trail Area Health and Environment Program, Van Housman from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Peter Dolan from the Targeted Lead Abatement Partnership in Port Pirie.
Acting Manager Compliance and Regulatory Practice Pearl Tassell presented on managing load-based reduction targets in discharges to Adelaide’s coastal waters, while Senior Environment Protection Officer Paris Bates spoke about data-derived information and reporting.
Themes that emerged from the conference covered climate change, flood response, embedding Indigenous knowledge and cultural values in regulatory frameworks and innovation in regulation.
AELERT was formed in 2003 with the purpose of fostering world-class environmental regulation by enabling collaboration between agencies. It is a network of regulatory agencies implementing environmental law.
The EPA’s Kelly Clarke, Pearl Tassell, Sophie Martin and Paris Bates.
