Engagement Policy

The policy is guided by the Environment Protection Act 1970, which states that the aspirations of the people of Victoria for environmental quality shall drive environmental improvement. EPA believes that effective engagement makes it a proactive, responsive, and robust environmental regulator, delivering services and products that are attuned to the aspirations of the Victorian community. EPA's engagement model is based on its commitment to all stakeholders. The model involves raising awareness and understanding of EPA's activities, functions, and constraints, as well as involving stakeholders in changes and decisions that affect them. EPA also listens and talks with all stakeholders to build its intelligence and make informed decisions. The model has three aspects: customer service, strategic engagement, and relationship management. Customer service is the foundation of everyone's interactions with EPA. EPA has a dedicated call centre and customer service team to answer queries or refer to an EPA specialist for follow-up. Environment Protection Officers work with businesses, the community, and all stakeholders, and are one of EPA's key delivery areas for customer service. EPA will actively improve its customer service standards by encouraging customer feedback and conducting quarterly customer satisfaction surveys. Strategic engagement is the foundation to achieving compliance and environmental standards that meet the aspirations of all Victorians. EPA will work with stakeholders to develop and implement strategic engagement plans, which will be developed and implemented alongside operational plans for key issues and hotspot areas. Strategic engagement can be used to help solve both proactive and reactive environmental issues. Relationship management involves establishing and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders to achieve better outcomes. EPA will identify, develop, and implement relationship plans to manage proactive and reactive relationships and issues. Relationship plans will be developed for strategic partnerships, regional offices, and memorandums of understanding. EPA will engage with stakeholders across all areas of the EPA operating model, conducting purposeful and planned engagement that works towards its goal of providing a healthy environment that supports a liveable and prosperous Victoria. EPA will inform and educate stakeholders about the state of the environment and its progress towards its vision of clean air, healthy water, safe land, and minimal disturbance from noise and odour. EPA will also set standards by providing clear and authoritative standards based on scientific evidence and best practice. EPA's engagement policy is guided by the principles of customer service and engagement, which include being accountable, transparent, effective, inclusive, authoritative, consistent, targeted, and proportionate. EPA will continually improve its customer service and engagement skills, systems, and opportunities for stakeholder participation. The policy aims to achieve a more comprehensive resolution to the complex problems faced by EPA and the Victorian community.