Event report
VIC | Managing Environmental Law Risks: Victoria's New Approach
Businesses will need to review their environmental management systems and portfolio of properties to ensure that they (and their directors and executive management team) are ready for the new laws.
The French Australian Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Bureau Veritas had the pleasure to bring to you the Breakfast Business Briefing Managing Environmental Law Risks: Victoria's New Approach.
The Victorian Government is implementing a new approach to environmental protection that will place new duties to protect the environment on all Victorians and introduce significantly increased penalties of more than $3 million for companies and up to five years imprisonment for individuals.
Businesses will need to review their environmental management systems and portfolio of properties to ensure that they (and their directors and executive management team) are ready for the new laws.
Over the next three-six months the EPA and Victorian Government will be engaging with industry stakeholders and the community regarding the range of regulations, compliance codes and other guidance documents that need to be put in place before the Act commences (expected 1 July 2020).
We were thrilled to have our speaker, Dr Meredith Gibbs, Special Counsel at Baker McKenzie lawyers.
Meredith shared some of her expertise in Environmental law to explain the details and undertandings of the new General environmental duties, the third party factor and the reasonable practicable steps within the assesment and prevention of Environmental risks.
The discussion moderated by Kat Sayers, Environment Practice Lead at Bureau Veritas took the following points as guideline:
- explanation of the new laws;
- highlight areas where you can get involved in making submissions on the regulations;
- provide practical steps that you can take to get ready.
