2014 Annual Report

1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014

Our performance

Our performance

The EPA operates within the broader government framework established by the Seven Strategic Priorities and South Australia’s Strategic Plan. It works with stakeholder groups to identify and progress specific initiatives and interventions that are efficient and effectively contribute to strategic outcomes.

Seven Strategic Priorities

The state government has developed seven priorities for South Australia’s future to focus its effort and drive its work.

The seven priorities are:

  1. Creating a Vibrant City
  2. An Affordable Place to Live
  3. Every Chance for Every Child
  4. Growing Advanced Manufacturing
  5. Safe Communities, Healthy Neighbourhoods
  6. Realising the Benefits of the Mining Boom for All
  7. Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment.

The EPA contributes broadly to all the priorities with a focus on Priority 7: Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment.

Premium food and wine from our clean environment

The 90-day change project to streamline regulation of the tuna industry means tuna arrives at market quicker and fresher, while maintaining environment protection standards.

The tuna industry has long been concerned about the cost of government regulation. The EPA and Primary Industries and Regions SA worked with the tuna industry to streamline licensing, monitoring and reporting arrangements to align with the ‘ranching’ cycle of the industry.

This has resulted in a 50% time saving and 20% cost saving on tuna licence applications. The industry estimates the benefits from these new arrangements could be as much as $700 000 a year1.

1 Source: South Australian Government, Building a Stronger South Australia, Policy 14 A Modern Public Service,

South Australia’s Strategic Plan

South Australia’s Strategic Plan contains visions and goals, and measurable targets based on feedback received from the community, that are organised within priorities developed by the state government. These are considered under the following pillars:

  • Our community
  • Our health
  • Our prosperity
  • Our education
  • Our environment
  • Our ideas

The EPA contributes to several of the targets which are reported through its performance scorecard:

  • Target 32 Customer and Client Satisfaction with Government Services
  • Target 33 Government Planning Decisions
  • Target 61 Energy Efficiency: Government Buildings
  • Target 67 ZeroWaste.

The following three additional public sector targets also apply to all government agencies, and relevant information is presented in this annual report under ‘Our People’:

  • Target 50 People with a Disability
  • Target 52 Women
  • Target 53 Aboriginal Employees.

South Australia’s environment

South Australia has a unique and delicate environment that needs to be protected for future generations. While the EPA has primary responsibility for regulating the environment, a collective effort is needed from all spheres of government, industry and the community to ensure our environment is protected.

The EPA launched the 6th State of the Environment South Australia (SoE) report on 19 September 2013. The SoE report reminds us that while much has been achieved, continued effort is required to ensure that our environment is preserved for future generations.

Since the launch date, there have been 7 270 page visits on the 2013 State of Environment website.

Our stakeholders

The EPA is committed to involving stakeholders in achieving a healthier environment, and a prosperous and sustainable future through effective communication and engagement.

The Communications and Engagement Framework is the EPA’s public statement of the role communications and engagement play in its work in supporting positive working relationships with all its stakeholders. This framework identifies the three priority communications and engagement objectives of: awareness and understanding, active relationships and organisational capability. It sets out the EPA’s commitments and actions to improve communications and engagement over the three years 2013–15, and is aligned with the strategic priorities of the EPA’s Strategic Plan 201215.

Environmental pressures

The EPA is focused on addressing six key environmental challenges facing South Australia.

These are:

  1. major point sources of pollution and waste
  2. legacy issues, particularly site and groundwater contamination and the interface of industry and residential dwellings
  3. increasing urban and infrastructure development and renewal
  4. inappropriate or illegal management of wastes and resource recovery
  5. broader issues of statewide significance, for example, management of the River Murray, potential impacts of renewable energy and impacts of climate change
  6. expansion of mining in South Australia and its associated infrastructure.