Pilot Environmental Auditing Program

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has highlighted the need for Councils to proactively engage in environmental auditing, not only for the benefit of the environment, but also for the benefit of the community.

Tweed Shire Council is home to a number of industries that have the potential to harm the environment if their workplace operations are not managed appropriately.

In response to this initiative, Tweed Shire Council will be undertaking a pilot environmental auditing program which is scheduled to commence between January and March 2014.

The pilot program will include twenty businesses that will be randomly selected from the diverse range of industries that are represented across the Tweed Shire, enabling Council to assess their practices against the standards put in place by the EPA, and relevant conditions of any current development consent that may relate to the business.

The twenty businesses that have been selected to participate in the pilot program will be notified in writing and will also be visited by the Inspector who will be undertaking their audit prior to their participation in the pilot scheme. The businesses taking part in the audit will not be required to contribute to the cost of the program.

The pilot program will look at waste management practices, including reuse, disposal and recycling, and will enable Council to work with the business community to adopt a more proactive role in the protection of the environment from pollution before it occurs. It will also assist in educating various industries to prevent and better prepare in case of a pollution event.