Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans.
In 2008 new legislative requirements have come into force applying to premises that use large amounts of water and energy. These new requirements are outlined in the Environment Protection (Environment and Resource Efficiency Plans) Regulations 2007.
Under the regulations, companies must register with EPA Victoria before 31 March 2008 if they used more than 100 TJ energy or 120 ML water in 2006-2007. A web-based calculator has been made available by EPA to help calculate whether a site exceeds the thresholds; this self-assessment tool can be accessed here. Registration can be done on EPA's EREP registration webpage.
A number of information sessions have been held by EPA Victoria so far. There is one more session on 12 March 2008; see here for more information and how to reserve a place.
Plans for implementation of improvement actions with payback periods of three years or less must then be identified and submitted to EPA before 31 December 2008. Implementation of improvement actions outlined in the EREP (and approved by EPA) is then to occur from 2009 to 2014 together with annual progress reporting.
While mandatory EREP requirements will only apply to quite large sites, the principles and potential benefits through savings may also apply to smaller sites. The ideas, methods and tools applied in the EREP program may in some cases be cost-effectively applied to such smaller sites. Please ring Mike on (03) 9574 9631 to discuss the impacts of the new legal requirements on your business. We can also assist with advice about the new requirements, including the preparation of a full Environment and Resource Efficiency Plan if your business is above the thresholds.
For smaller businesses, we can help design and implement programs based on the EREP approach that may also be cost neutral over time and thereby help save money on an ongoing basis.