GWMWater and the Environment Protection Authority signed a world-leading corporate licence that is designed to cut red tape, deliver savings to business and help protect the environment.
The new GWMWater corporate licence amalgamates 25 existing EPA licences for their wastewater management facilities into one, reducing the amount of licensing documentation from 288 pages to nine.
EPA chairman Mick Bourke said the new licence maintains the rigour of EPA's licencing requirements, while also freeing GWMWater to increase its focus on long-term initiatives designed to help reduce its overall environmental impact.
``These initiatives include, for example,assessing and reducing GWMWater's footprint, improved infrastructure management and moving towards a focus on resource efficiency,'' Mr Bourke said.
The corporate licencing program is expected to save Victorian businesses $3 million annually through administrative savings and at least $12 million through compliance savings.
The initiative is expected to reduce the total number of EPA licences by 30 per cent.
Through recent changes to the Environment Protection Act (1970), companies holding two or more EPA licences can now voluntarily amalgamate these into a single corporate licence.
``EPA is addressing current environmental issues through smarter initiatives and contemporary licensing,'' Mr Bourke said.
``This licence will allow flexibility and encourage a whole-of-business approach to managing and improving environmental and economic performance.''
GWMWater managing director Jeff Rigby said local organisations were being increasingly required to adapt to the challenges presented by climate change and water scarity.
``This licence enables us to meet statutory requirements more efficiently, while at the same time maximising environmental and economic outcomes,'' Mr Rigby said.
``We are also pleased to be delivering on our Sustainability Covenant, signed earlier this year with EPA.''
Mr Bourke said EPA will continue to use its regulatory powers where required and appropriate, however it was now better equipped to support business innovation.
``Corporate licencing is about identifying opportunities where EPA can work with industry to achieve better environmental outcomes with less regulation and at less cost,'' Mr Bourke said.
``It is about transforming the environment from a business cost into a business opportunity.''