Environment Operations Act and Pollution Monitoring

Licensing under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) establishes the NSW environmental regulatory framework and includes a licensing requirement for certain activities.

Environment protection licences are a central means to control the localised, cumulative and acute impacts of pollution in NSW. In particular they aim to:

• protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment in NSW, having regard to the need to maintain ecologically sustainable development
• provide increased opportunities for public involvement and participation in environment protection
• ensure that the community has access to relevant and meaningful information about pollution
• rationalise, simplify and strengthen the regulatory framework for environment protection
• improve the efficiency of administration of the environment protection legislation
• reduce risks to human health and prevent the degradation of the environment by the use of mechanisms that promote the following:

The POEO Act contains a list of activities that require an environment protection licence. These are listed in Schedule 1 of the POEO Act.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council operates two licensed landfills under Environment Protection Authority Licence requirements
which can be found following this EPA website link