Council’s role in the area of environment and heritage management
Local government is the most diverse of Australia’s three levels of government. It is an important player in the area of environment and heritage management in Australia, and has the responsibility for protecting the environment, planning future landscapes, providing infrastructure, managing natural resources, and conserving or managing cultural heritage through a variety of mechanisms.
The execution of Council activities has associated environmental impacts which need to be managed to reduce the level of affect. The main environmental impacts associated with Council activities generally involve the consumption of materials and resources such as energy, water, chemicals and building materials.
The protection of the environment by Local Government is facilitated by the utilisation of a variety of Acts which can be implemented in relation to a specific circumstance. The Acts which provide Council with legislative powers to manage environmental activities include the Local Government Act (1993), the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act (1979) and the Protection of the Environment Operations Act (1997). These Acts provide a range of tools which can be used by Council to address breaches of legislation.
Council has a Local Environment Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP) to place controls on the types of development that are permitted in particular areas and control the way those developments are carried out to minimize environmental impact.
Council’s Management Plan sets out Council’s environmental strategies and policy in relation to its role as an environmental steward and manager. Virtually all of the council’s functions have some form of environmental implication. The State of Environment Report is used to assist in reporting progress and effectiveness of these strategies.
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This page last updated 20 October, 2011 10:10 AM
