EPA Board
The Board is the governing body of the EPA for matters related to the EP Act and provides strategic direction, develops environmental policy and monitors performance.
EPA Board qualifications, experience and skills
Members of the EPA Board are appointed by the Governor of South Australia and are chosen for their qualifications, experience and expertise, as shown below.
| Qualifications, experience and expertise | Member |
| Presiding Member | Mia Handshin |
| Environmental protection and management or natural resources management | Allan Holmes Tony Circelli |
| Industry, commerce or economic development | Linda Bowes Roslyn DeGaris |
| Local government | Stephen Hains (until 3 August 2013) Mark Withers Helen Macdonald |
| Reduction, reuse, recycling and management of waste or the environmental management industry | Stephen Hains (until 3 August 2013) Mark Withers |
| Management generally, and public sector management | Allan Holmes Prof Campbell Gemmell (until 16 May 2014) Tony Circelli |
| Environmental law | Robert Fowler |
| Environmental conservation and advocacy on environmental matters on behalf of the community | Robert Fowler |
Various prescribed bodies are consulted in the appointment process for Board members. The wide spectrum of expertise on the Board gives the EPA the capacity to make integrated and balanced decisions about the complex problems and issues threatening the environment.
Changes to EPA Board membership
Outgoing member Mr Stephen Hains
Mr Hains was appointed to the Board in April 2003, and was made Deputy Presiding Member on renewal of his appointment on 20 October 2005. He retired from the EPA Board on 3 August 2013 after more than 10 years of service.
The EPA thanks Mr Hains for his considerable contributions and service to the protection of the environment of South Australia.
Outgoing member Professor Campbell Gemmell
Professor Gemmell was appointed as Chief Executive of the EPA on 23 January 2012 and resigned from the position on 16 May 2014. While Chief Executive, Professor Gemmell was also an ex-officio member of the Board. The EPA thanks Professor Campbell for assisting the Board with implementing its policies and programs.
Appointment of Ms Roslyn DeGaris, Mr Mark Withers and Dr Helen Macdonald
Ms Roslyn DeGaris was appointed to the EPA Board on 23 January 2014 for a three-year period.
Mr Mark Withers and Dr Helen Macdonald were appointed as members of the EPA Board on 8 August 2013, both for a three-year period.
EPA Board Committee listing
Section 17 of the EP Act allows the EPA Board to establish committees or subcommittees to advise or assist with carrying out the functions of the Board, or as required by the Regulations.
Two committees reported to the Board during 2013–14:
- Audit and Risk Management Committee
- Site Contamination Auditor Accreditation Committee.
Audit and Risk Management Committee
The Audit and Risk Management Committee was established by the Board in March 2009. This committee oversees implementation of the risk management framework, which was set up to identify activities of high risk, monitor systematic controls to mitigate risks and achieve overall compliance with Board and agency policies. The committee meets at least quarterly.
Site Contamination Auditor Accreditation Committee
The Site Contamination Auditor Accreditation Committee was established in August 2008 to advise the Board on the accreditation of site contamination auditors. The committee is required to meet annually.
EPA Board general and special meetings
A total of 12 Board meetings were held during the 2013–14 period.
EPA Board consultation program 2013–14
As part of its consultation program, the EPA Board conducted the following sessions which, as in previous years, gave the Board an opportunity to hear directly from its stakeholders about the environment protection issues they considered important.
Board visit to Tonsley redevelopment site
On 5 November 2013, the Board visited the Tonsley redevelopment, formally Mitsubishi Motors, to meet with representatives from Renewal SA. The Board received a comprehensive overview of the project and toured the site to view current infrastructure development. The site is being redeveloped for manufacturing industry clusters associated with clean technologies, and strategically located highdensity housing is proposed along the Tonsley Passenger Rail Line transit corridor.
The Board also received presentations from the:
- Advanced Manufacturing Council Department for Manufacturing, Innovation, Trade, Resources and Energy (DMITRE), to discuss strategic issues and challenges surrounding manufacturing in South Australia.
- Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology about the Skills for All program implemented by the state government in July 2013, as well as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics strategy and its objectives.
Board visit to Port Adelaide
On 10 December 2013, the Board travelled to Port Adelaide for various meetings and site visits that included:
- meeting with representatives of Port Renewal, Renewal SA and Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) to discuss the proposed Port Adelaide Precinct Plan
- meeting with representatives of the Port Adelaide Enfield Council to discuss site contamination issues, residential dumping, EPA comment on development applications, the Gillman Master Plan, and the challenges and opportunities of plans to rejuvenate Port Adelaide
- visiting the Port River Waterfront Precinct and various EPA licensed sites, including Incitec Pivot, Shell Bitumen, Exxon Mobil and Penrice Soda Products
- meeting with representatives from the DMITRE and Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources (DEWNR) to discuss the closure of the Ridley Corporate salt fields
- receiving a presentation from the City of Salisbury about the picturesque Greenfields Wetlands and the Managed Aquifer Recharge Program.
Round-table (Summit) Conference
The annual EPA Round-table conference is a requirement under the EP Act (section 19) and an important part of the Board’s engagement and consultation with its stakeholders.
Over the years, EPA round-tables have taken many forms, but often with the view of asking its stakeholders to tell the Board what they think of the EPA’s performance and/or contemporary issues relevant to its business. This year, the Board built on this approach, choosing the format and focus of a summit meeting. This Summit had a targeted audience, providing an opportunity to work with the state’s most influential leaders from business, industry, government and nongovernment sectors to consider how South Australia’s ‘Changing Economy, Changing Environment’ will impact on our state’s businesses and the contribution a protected and improved environment will add to business and the state’s economy.
Twenty-one senior business leaders attended the summit, which was held at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute on 20 May 2014.
Three questions were posed to attendees:
- What value can the EPA provide for the environment and business through the performance of its role and functions?
- What should the EPA do to further contribute to competitiveness?
- How can business/participants support the EPA to deliver desired outcomes for South Australia?
Key themes that arose from the discussion can be found in the summit report.