Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia

The Environmental Protection Authority of Western Australia (EPA) is a statutory authority within the Government of Western Australia and is the primary provider of independent environmental advice to the government. It was established on 1 January 1972. The EPA provides advice to the Minister for Environment through various reports, as well as releasing statements to the public detailing significant environmental matters. Its role also includes formulation of environmental protection policies. A key function of the EPA is assessing resource and planning proposals and making recommendations to the Minister regarding the environmental acceptability of these proposals, as well as recommending environmental conditions which should be implemented in the event that proposals are approved by the Minister.

The Authority consists of five members: a full-time chairman, a part-time deputy, and three other part-time members. Members of the EPA board are not public servants. They are appointed by the Governor of Western Australia on the recommendation of the Minister for Environment. Unusually for a government authority, under the Environmental Protection Act 1986, neither the Authority nor its chairman are subject to the direction of the Minister.

The current members of the EPA as of April 2017 are:

The Authority operates and has statutory powers under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 and as amended by the Environmental Protection Amendment Bill 2002. These are, as defined in Section 16 of the 2002 Amendment Bill:

On 27 November 2009 the Western Australian government formed a dedicated department to support the EPA, known as the Office of the EPA (OEPA). This is intended to provide the Authority with greater independence and control of its policies and process.

The OEPA provides support services such as negotiating with stakeholders and proponents, technical advice regarding the formulation of policies, research and formulation of reports, and monitoring of project implementation. The General Manager of the OEPA is Mr Kim Taylor.

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