Getting the Groundwork Right: Implementation Plan

Getting the Groundwork Right: Implementation Plan

ELIZABETH GIBSON, General Manager of CMPA.

The implementation plan for the Getting the Groundwork Right – Better Regulation of Mines and Quarries was released on the 3rd May 2018 after being approved by the Victorian government. The plan recognises the extractive industry’s role in enabling the State’s development: transport infrastructure, schools, hospital and housing.

Of importance is the statement in the plan that “Work plans lodged prior to 8 December 2015 remain valid, enforceable regulatory instruments. Operators can continue to operate under these older work plans” — though they can voluntarily elect to submit a work plan in the new format introduced in 2015.

A Statement of Operational change is being developed by ERR and will be released by 1st July 2018 that will address the current issues with the approach being taken by ERR requiring a transition to the risk based work plan for a variation of a work plan (pre 8th December 2015).

Standard risk management plans are being developed to provide default approaches for managing a range of common risks for the extractive industries, which operators can voluntarily choose to apply to satisfy their regulatory requirements. This is fully consistent with the intention of the 8th December 2015 changes and will not require additional change to existing legislation or regulations.

Operators will also be free to develop alternative controls to those set out in the standard risk management plan, if they consider they have a better way to deliver the required regulatory outcomes.  As with management of higher-risk issues, operators will be required to supplement their standard risk management plan with an explanation of how they will achieve and demonstrate
compliance with regulatory standards.

ERR is developing a new process for the submission and assessment of new work plans. Earth Resources Regulation will move away from a standardised approach to a new approach that will differentiate between projects with all, or mostly, standard risks and strategic projects.

 

Timelines for delivering the recommendations as detailed in:

Getting the Groundwork Right Report are given below: 

 

Delivering the Recommendations

 

CMPA will be working with ERR to ensure that the recommendations are implemented to improve practices and processes in the legislation of quarries.

The plan referred to throughout this article is available at: http://earthresources.vic.gov.au/earth-resources-regulation/continuous-improvement-project/implementation-plan

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