Climate change Climate change is a global challenge - with rising
’ With significant investment underway, EPA s permissioning processes (the use of tools like licences and permits) must be timely and effective in supporting economic growth while preventing harm to communities and the environment. EPA s expert and scientific advice on land use planning and developments will also be important to reducing the impacts of pollution and waste. ’ infrastructure continues to support the economy, while private spending is increasingly driving economic growth, with business investment recovering strongly. The economy A clean environment and healthy communities are critical to Victoria’s economy, and the nature and sources of environmental harm are changing as the economy evolves. Pollution and waste will increasingly arise from different sources, with the impacts of new and emerging industries and production techniques not yet fully clear. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has also had a significant impact on the Victorian economy since early 2020. Government investment in services and
Aboriginal self-determination Traditional Owners are recognised in Victoria as the First Peoples, through a range of legal and policy instruments that support self- determination and their continuing responsibilities to care for Country. The Victorian Government is working in partnership with Traditional Owners and Aboriginal Victorians to advance a treaty or treaties that will provide a foundation for a new, positive relationship, and enable true self-determination for Victoria’s First Peoples. EPA must continue to build partnerships with Victoria’s Traditional Owners and ensure our work is founded on the principles of self-determination. In doing so, we need to make sure that our staff are culturally competent, and that Traditional Owner cultural knowledge is part of how we protect our communities and environment from the harmful impacts of pollution and waste.
Digital disruption and transformation
Technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, connected devices and robotics are rapidly reshaping our world.
temperatures and more extreme weather events. In Victoria, this means a warmer and drier future with more frequent and intense heatwaves, bushfires and storms. These events often create significant pollution and waste issues that can also impact on the health of communities. The Victorian Government has legislated a long-term target of net zero emissions by 2050, and through its Climate Change Strategy, has set interim targets for 2025 and 2030. Achieving these targets is a shared responsibility across all sectors of the economy - governments, industry and the community.
These new technologies can impact traditional markets and the way regulation is performed, bringing both risks and opportunities for the management of pollution and waste. These changes will require EPA to expand our ability to investigate and manage the risks of emerging chemicals and new technologies, while effectively influencing environmental standards to keep pace with new opportunities and threats. At the same time, EPA must take advantage of new technologies to improve our reach and effectiveness, including the timeliness of our decision making and increasing our ability to monitor and communicate risks to communities and the environment.
EPA expects effective action and is committed to playing its part in
implementing the Victorian Government’s direction on climate change. While EPA doesn’t regulate all the sources that contribute to climate change, we have a responsibility to consider the effects in our regulatory decision making and must act to ensure the harm from industrial emissions – including greenhouse gases – is eliminated or minimised as far as reasonably practicable.
Greater Melbourne is expected to grow by about 1 million people, with Victoria’s regions expected to grow from 1.5 million to 1.75 million by 2032. This growth will place greater pressure on our environment, as well as demand for housing, transport and consumer products that will generate higher levels of emissions and waste. EPA will need to work with communities, industry, all levels of government , co-regulators and other partners to ensure population growth doesn’t cause unacceptable risks, and that appropriate controls are put in place to protect communities and the environment from pollution and waste. This includes strengthening the circular economy and enabling appropriate infrastructure development.
Population change and urbanisation
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While Victoria’s population fell in 2020-21 due to the impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the state’s population is projected to reach 7.9 million people in 2032, growing by an average of 120,000 people each year - a rate of 1.6 per cent per annum.
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Greater Melbourne is expected to grow by about 1 million people by 2032
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