New South Wales Environment Protection Authority

NSW Environment Protection Authority

Agency overview
Formed	February 2012
Jurisdiction	New South Wales
Headquarters	59 Goulburn Street, Sydney
Employees	approximately 500
Annual budget	$158.1million[1]
Minister responsible	Penny Sharpe, Minister for the Environment
Parent department	Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
Website	www.epa.nsw.gov.au

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is an independent statutory authority that sits in the Environment portfolio as part of the Planning and Environment cluster. It was established as an independent governing board in February 2012 separate from the Office of Environment & Heritage.^[2] The EPA is the state’s primary environmental regulator, working with businesses, government, community and environment groups to manage and reduce pollution, waste and adverse impacts on the environment.

The EPA’s vision is a "Healthy Environment, Healthy Community and Healthy Business". The vision goes to the heart of the objectives under the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 (POEA Act):

• to protect, restore and enhance the quality of the environment in NSW, having regard to the need to maintain ecologically sustainable development;
• to reduce the risks to human health and prevent the degradation of the environment.