The Australian Democrats last night introduced a bill to make the Environment Protection Authority more independent, more accountable and to strengthen its powers.

"The Government has procrastinated for too long on reform of the EPA," said Mike Elliott, Australian Democrats Parliamentary Leader.

"The EPA was receiving significant criticism early last year, which culminated in an all party Parliamentary Committee Inquiry. This Inquiry unanimously made forty recommendations for change in May last year.

"However, one year later there has still been no action from the Government.

"There is no doubt that public confidence in the EPA is low.

"My view (and I believe it is also the view of the Environment and Resources Committee members generally) is that it was not the EPA’s fault. Rather the EPA is working with inadequate legislation. The Act must be changed!"

The major amendments included:

• That Environment Protection Agency staff should be made employees of the Authority and not of the Minister (as at present);
• That the EPA’s capacity to prosecute be strengthened;
• That the public register be made freely available to the public and all register items should be on the internet (when the Inquiry commenced last year the register simply didn’t exist which was in breach of the Act);
• That the regulation and control of underground storage tanks and septic tanks come under the Environment Protection Act;
• That crown development is treated in the same manner as private development.