Environmental pollution in Australia is on the rise, thanks to increased urbanisation and industrialisation. Therefore, industrial plants have to obtain environmental protection authority (EPA) license before commencing operations since the state is responsible for minimising the adverse effects of pollution. Upon application and issuance of the EPA license, the occupant of scheduled premises must fulfil certain critical conditions laid out in the permit to minimise pollution.

1. The requirement to Prevent Pollution -- It is one of the most critical conditions that occupants of scheduled premises must fulfil before they are issued a license. The state understands that industrial and commercial activities produce by-products which can harm the environment and people if not managed correctly. Therefore, every plant or commercial facility must show proof that they have systems in place to prevent pollution when applying for an EPA license. For instance, textile production firms can use recycled used water instead of discharging it to waterways. Such a system will go a long way in reducing the potential impact of discharge water on stream and rivers. Notably, you can only be issued a license after satisfying the EPA condition of taking deliberate measures to prevent pollution.

2. Environmental Monitoring -- Systems can either fail or be breached; therefore, it is not enough to have pollution prevention systems in place to minimise the impact on the environment. Thus, it is vital for a license holder to develop a monitoring program to ensure license compliance. One of the best approaches that are used in environmental monitoring is a risk-based approach that helps to determine the level of monitoring required. For example, the community living near a wastewater management facility that operates near a water body is at high risk of suffering the adverse effects of water contamination. Therefore, the level of monitoring must be thorough and frequent to ensure that the community is not affected. Only a license holder that is familiar with how operations interact with the environment and community can develop a robust monitoring system.

3. Provide Reports to EPA -- As mentioned earlier, EPA license holders must develop environmental monitoring plans and document the performance of the plans per the law. State agencies are then required to audit the plans. Therefore, it is vital for license holders to retain the documents in their premises for at least seven years. Other than the monitoring plans, license holders are required to lodge an annual performance statement (APS) with the EPA annually. It helps the agency to determine whether the license holder is complying with every condition laid out in the license.