Targeted compliance

Targets

Actions

Action 3.1

Develop and publish a Dynamic Compliance Prioritisation Framework which will outline our compliance approach and will be informed by the following:

• Annual Strategic Compliance Priorities
• Compliance prioritisation inputs—Compliance Prioritisation Model, Unplanned Compliance Events, intelligence reports
• Targeted compliance projects
• Reef Compliance Strategy.

Status: Ongoing

• Information about our compliance and enforcement framework is published online.
• Our compliance program targets the activities that pose the greatest potential risk to Queensland’s environment and communities.
• We monitor licensed operators through regular proactive and reactive compliance activities to identify breaches and areas of poor performance.
• We continue to build a culture of improved voluntary compliance within industry and improve compliance practices.
• Regional compliance planning is undertaken in each of our four compliance regions (North, Central, Southeast and Southwest) to ensure that local priority risks are accounted for.
• Compliance priorities are published online.

Action 3.2

Deliver an enhanced intelligence and science-based assessment capability to inform risk, this will include:

• strategic and operational intelligence assessment and reporting
• enhanced information sharing between agencies
• enhanced information collection, storage and access.

Status: Ongoing

• We have strong processes and systems in place for gathering information and intelligence on activities to inform compliance including a dedicated intelligence team.
• Our dedicated intelligence team provides operational and tactical support to direct compliance and investigation activities and produce intelligence products to identify emerging issues.
• We have undertaken joint compliance actions with other regulatory agencies such as:
  • Operation Sidero which targeted metal recyclers and involved officers from the environmental regulator, Office of Fair Trading, the Queensland Police Service and 11 local government agencies.
  • Asbestos in mulch which targeted private and local government landfills and composters throughout Queensland and involved officers from the environmental regulator and the Office of Industrial Relations.

Action 3.3

Deliver compliance and educational activities in relation to Reef protection regulations as outlined in the Reef Compliance Strategy.

Status: Ongoing

• We continue to consolidate the Reef Compliance Program to deliver effective and efficient regulation of the Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures.
• The Reef Regulations Compliance webpages provide information about our compliance approach and provide a link to the Compliance Dashboard.
• The Compliance Dashboard details compliance data for our inspection program of sugarcane and banana producers and graziers in the Great Barrier Reef catchment.

Action 3.4

Improve reporting on compliance outcomes to build the trust and respect of industry and the community through improved transparency:

• publish enforcement notices on the Public Register Portal
• promote to the public opportunities to report illegal activities through the Pollution Hotline.

Status: Ongoing

• Through the online Public Register Portal (Environmental Protection Act 1994), people can search, view and download the following statutory enforcement notices:
• accepted enforceable undertakings
• transitional environmental programs
• environmental protection orders
• environmental evaluations
• direction notices
• clean-up notices
• cost recovery notices.
• We encourage members of the public to report incidents or illegal activities through the Pollution Hotline.
• In 2023 we launched an online environmental reporting form which can be used to report an environmental incident from either a desktop or mobile device.
• We provide updates on compliance outcomes through our Regulatory Update newsletters to keep the community aware of important compliance and enforcement information.
• We also publish regular Swanbank and New Chum odour updates.

Action 3.5

Better utilise a range of technologies to support compliance:

• improve the use of geospatial systems and technologies including geographic information systems and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS)
• develop a departmental surveillance capability, through additional technology, equipment and training including remote sensing, use of drones and other emerging technologies.

(Links to Action 5.1)

Status: Ongoing

• As part of a compliance inspection or investigation, our officers may use equipment to measure things like noise, take water samples, and may also use drones (RPAS), and audio-visual devices to record inspections. The Overt and Covert recording fact sheet provides an overview of when officers will use recording devices.
• In response to an influx of community reports about odour issues in the Salisbury Moorooka area in late June 2023, compliance officers undertook odour surveillance, compliance inspections, and made use of technology including remote weather sensing equipment and Summa Canisters to collect air samples.
• In July 2023, a construction company was fined $40,000 after they were caught on camera by our compliance officers illegally accepting, stockpiling and crushing concrete waste despite receiving orders to stop.