Chemical Management Reform for the Environment

On 13 December 2013, COAG replaced its 22 Standing Councils, Select Councils and governance fora with a set of eight Councils and the decision saw the revocation of the Standing Council on Environment and Water.

Information on this website is being updated to reflect these changes.

 

Regulation Impact Statement (RIS)

Consultation Regulation Impact Statement

Consultation Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) on options for developing and implementing nationally consistent decisions to manage the environmental risks of industrial chemicals.

Detailing Options to Establish a ‘Standard Setting’ Body and Framework for Developing Nationally Consistent Decisions to Manage the Environmental Risks of Assessed Chemicals

In the Productivity Commission’s 2008 Research Report on Chemicals and Plastics Regulation, the Commission noted that there is currently no risk management decision-making body for chemicals in the environment sector and no formal policy oversight by environment ministers. This is in contrast to other sectors such as health, transport and occupational health and safety.

In response to the recommendations in the Productivity Commission report, in November 2008 the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) directed the then Environment Protection and Heritage Council (EPHC) to develop a proposal for establishing a ‘standard-setting’ body with the primary role of developing risk management recommendations on industrial chemicals for EPHC consideration. With the withdrawal of the remit of the EPHC, responsibility for the action has been transferred to the Standing Council on the Environment and Water (Council).

Tenders for this work were called and closed on 8 July 2011. COAG noted that this proposal would provide for the development of a single national decision on the environmental management of chemicals that could be adopted by reference and applied consistently in all jurisdictions, and would close a significant gap in current arrangements for environment protection.

COAG also directed the Council to examine the costs and benefits of requiring mandatory environmental labelling of chemicals and examine the feasibility of developing a performance measurement framework for efforts to monitor the impact of chemicals in the environment for impacts both on human health and the environment.

In December 2010 Senior Officials agreed the project scope and funding for the development of a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement on options to create nationally consistent risk management decisions to manage the risk of chemicals.

Consultancy Request for Tender

In implementing directions from COAG the Council wishes to develop a Consultation Regulation Impact Statement to develop and assess options to:

  • create an effective and efficient mechanism for developing nationally consistent risk management decisions to manage the potential impacts of individual chemicals in the environment;
  • establish an advisory body to provide expert advice for developing the nationally consistent risk management decisions;
  • include mandatory labels on industrial chemicals with instructions on environmentally safe management, handling and disposal to communicate regulatory requirements; and
  • monitor the level of selected chemicals in the environment to ensure that the nationally consistent risk management decisions are effective in addressing the identified risks posed by the chemical to the environment.

This project may extend to developing a Decision Regulation Impact Statement. Tenders for this work were called and closed on 8 July 2011.

Environmental Labelling – Completion of Stage One

In November 2008, COAG directed Council to examine costs and benefits of mandatory environmental labelling of chemicals to determine whether this would result in a net benefit to the community, Stage One of this project has now been completed.