[Greens-Media] MEDIA RELEASE: 'Auditor general’s report on EPA warning to Government' (Greens NSW Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC)

[Mehreen Faruqi]

Media Release
10.07.14
Auditor general’s report on EPA warning to Government
Greens NSW MP and Spokesperson for the Environment, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC, has said the Auditor General’s Report into Managing Contaminated Sites is a timely warning for the government to take the role of the EPA seriously to ensure that resources and management are adequate and appropriate for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to fulfil its role and objectives.

Dr Faruqi said:

“Today’s report by the Auditor General’s confirms that the EPA is not adequately managing  contaminated sites, including monitoring and public reporting.

“The lack of adequate data bases and guidance procedures clearly indicates a failure of resourcing and a dearth of adequate management systems and their systematic implementation.

“Many communities are losing faith in our environmental regulator and whether they have the resources and the management to investigate pollution incidents, and take on polluters and today’s Auditor General’s report confirms that EPA systems are inadequate for managing contaminated land.

“It is absolutely essential that NSW has a strong and well-resourced environmental regulator that can vigorously protect and enhance our environment and minimise risks to human health.

“The Minister must ensure that the EPA has the resources to effectively protect our communities and the environment. There must be a full examination into the management of environmental management, monitoring and reporting.

“We cannot be too cautious when human health and environmental damage is at stake.

“NSW Parliament will soon begin an inquiry into the EPA, including case studies of some of its perceived failures, such as issues of air pollution in the Hunter, land contamination in Botany and water pollution in the Pilliga. This report will certainly be another source of information for this inquiry”, she concluded.

Dr Faruqi is an environmental engineer with more than 20 years’ experience in environmental management and sustainability in local government, consulting and as a researcher and academic.

Contact: Matt Hilton 0423 106 247


Matt Hilton
Legislative, Policy and Media Adviser

Office of Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC
Legislative Council | NSW Parliament
E: matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au<mailto:matthew.hilton at parliament.nsw.gov.au>
P: (02) 9230 2625 | M: +61423106247|F: facebook.com/mehreenfaruqi | T: @MehreenFaruqi | W: mehreenfaruqi.org.au
Mail: Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Our parliamentary office is on the land of the Gadigal of the Eora nation

This email is solely for the named addressee and may be confidential. You should only read, disclose, transmit, copy, distribute, act in reliance on or commercialise the contents if you are authorised to do so. If you are not the intended recipient of this email, please notify the sender by email immediately and then destroy any copy of this message. Except where otherwise specifically stated, views expressed in this e-mail are those of the individual sender.
[Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: MC900437266[1]]  Please consider the environment before printing this email.