About the Office of the Environmental Monitor

About the Office

The Office of the Environmental Monitor was established by the Victorian Government in December 2007 as a requirement for the Channel Deepening Project.

Led by the Environmental Monitor, Mick Bourke, the Office brings an added layer of scrutiny to the Project by providing an around-the-clock independent and transparent view of the environmental performance of the Project to the regulators and the Victorian community.

The Office uses a wide range of information and data to assess the whether or not the Project has followed the rules set out in the Environmental Management Plan. Data from more than 20 monitoring programs operating across Port Phillip Bay is routinely examined by the Office to detect any changes to the bay’s health.

Role of the Office

The Office's objectives are to:

Be accessible to all stakeholders and the community;
Scrutinise, report and advise on the Project’s environmental performance in an independent and transparent way; and
Communicate all available information on the Project’s environmental performance in a timely manner to stakeholders and the community.

The Office will:

Scrutinise results from baywide monitoring programs, other environmental monitoring programs, and the Port of Melbourne Corporation’s (PoMC) conformance against the regulatory and environmental controls set out in the Environmental Management Plan;
Report quarterly, annually and at other critical points on the Project’s environmental performance;
Advise Government, PoMC and the community on the findings arising from the Office's reports on the Project’s environmental performance; and
Consult stakeholders and the community to remain informed on the issues and concerns.

Reporting by the Office

All reports and advice prepared by the Office will be publicly available on this website.

Office Terms of Reference

The Office's terms of reference were developed when the Office was established in 2007. They include the following:

The Environmental Monitor will:

Review the management reports of the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) prepared by the Port of Melbourne Corporation (PoMC) and examine any other reports related to the EMP that may be requested by Victorian Ministers.
Monitor and evaluate the environmental performance of the Project, including matters raised by stakeholders and the community to 31 December 2011.
Advise PoMC and relevant Ministers, or their delegate, on the above matters, and any other matters referred to the Environmental Monitor by a relevant Minister, as appropriate.

All matters are to be examined against the EMP's requirements.

In the event of a non-conformance or breach of the EMP

In the event of a non-conformance with the EMP, the Environmental Monitor will seek access to PoMC's remedy plan as soon as practicable.

The Environmental Monitor will scrutinise the implementation of PoMC's remedy plan to see that it meets the EMP's requirements. When necessary, the Environmental Monitor can also provide appropriate advice to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, or his delegate, for consideration.

In the first instance, it will be the Secretary of the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) who will, if required, provide direction to PoMC to amend the EMP or take action in relation to the EMP.

Reporting

The Environmental Monitor will provide regular reports to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, or delegate, on all matters monitored against the EMP. Reports will be provided quarterly as a minimum but more regularly by request of the Minister and/or if the Environmental Monitor considers it necessary.

The Environmental Monitor will provide an annual report to relevant Ministers or their delegates, and for public release on implementation of the EMP. These reports will be released in January 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Support for the Environmental Monitor

The Environmental Monitor will have at his disposal the following resources:

Technical support as required through the Independent Expert Group, through the conduct of independent audits, or other investogations as required; and
Administrative support by DSE.