Report of the Third Review of the National Environment Protection Council Acts (Commonwealth State and Territory) December 2012 National Environment Protection Council Response to the Report of the Third Review of the National Protection Council Acts
Tabled paper 599
Tabled Papers for 12th Assembly 2012 - 2016; Tabled Papers; ParliamentNT
2013-10-17
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https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C01116
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/275013
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/424650
27 National Environment Protection Council NEPC Acts Third Review 2012 The current Act is highly prescriptive in nature regarding the operations of the National Environment Protection Council and the National Environment Protection Council Committee. While some of this is still necessary given the legal regime that the council and committee operate within, parts of the Act are overly prescriptive and at variance with current Council of Australian Governments processes. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COUNCIL SERVICE CORPORATION The National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation, established under the Commonwealth National Environment Protection Council Act, provides an independent secretariat to the National Environment Protection Council and the National Environment Protection Council Committee, as well as the Standing Council on Environment and Water and the Senior Officials Committee of the Standing Council on Environment and Water. The National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation is a relatively small independent corporation carrying the standing costs associated with any separate Public Service entity. It has particularly costly reporting requirements and its financial operation is only partly covered by Commonwealth financial legislation. It also maintains a completely separate financial system that is separately audited. In June 2011 the National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation moved from Adelaide to a new office within the premises of the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Resources for the National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation are provided by the department under a service level agreement. The move of the National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation and the establishment of the new Standing Council on Environment and Water have led to a comprehensive review of existing policies and procedures. Provisions for the establishment and running of the National Environment Protection Council Committee are prescriptive and should be determined by the National Environment Protection Council in consultation with the committee. EXPEDITING REMOVAL OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COUNCIL SERVICE CORPORATION Concurrently with the broader National Environment Protection Council Act Review, the National Environment Protection Council Committee considered the costs and governance of the National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation. In reviewing the corporation, the committee focused on establishing clear and accountable governance arrangements, particularly in relation to financial governance, and on improving the efficiency and reducing the costs of management of the National Environment Protection Council and the National Environment Protection Council Service Corporation.