Department of health and ageing annual report 2002-03
PART 5 APPENDICES ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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- Departmental activities accord with ESD principles and have ESD relevance
- Legislation administered by the Department accords with ESD principles
- How do the Departments outcomes contribute to ESD
- Impacts on the environment and measures taken to minimise the impact of the Department on the environment
- Energy usage and initiatives to reduce consumption, atmospheric pollution and greenhouse emissions
- Mechanisms for reviewing and improving measures to minimise the impact of the Department on the environment
PART 5 APPENDICESECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENTThis appendix reports on the Department’s environmental performance and its implementation of the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). Section 516A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) requires Australian Government organisations to include a section in their annual reports detailing their environmental performance and the organisation’s contribution to ESD. Five principles of ESD identified in Section 3A of the EPBC Act are: Integration—Decision-making processes should effectively integrate both long-term and short-term economic, environmental, social and equitable considerations; Precaution—If there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, lack of scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation; Intergenerational equity—The present generation should ensure that the health, diversity and productivity of the environment is maintained or enhanced for the benefit of future generations; Biodiversity—The conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration in decision-making; and Valuation—Improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms should be promoted. Departmental activities accord with ESD principles and have ESD relevanceAt a national policy level, examples of the Department’s activities that accord with ESD principles and have ESD relevance include: the National Environmental Health Strategy, which aims to increase our national ability to identify and address factors in the environment that have potential impacts on the health of Australia’s population. A policy framework is currently being developed to highlight the relationship between the environment, health and sustainable development, and to promote the need for health impact assessments. The Department also publishes resources highlighting the link between the environment and health—for example, Healthy Homes, a guide to indoor air quality in the home for buyers, builders and renovators; and the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) operates its chemical risk assessment activities to be consistent with the policy parameters of ESD and through co-operative partnership arrangements with Environment Australia. Details are found in the NICNAS Annual Report. The following examples demonstrate a commitment to ESD principles at the organisational level: purchasing decisions by the CRS Australia take a life-cycle costing approach. Where relevant, those decisions incorporate environmental impacts; and as part of its Health and Life Strategy for staff, the Department launched ‘10K a day’— an initiative which contributes to ESD principles by promoting walking as a viable mode of commuting as well as a healthy activity. In encouraging a reduced reliance on the private motor vehicle, the initiative also promotes improved air quality by reducing vehicle emissions. Legislation administered by the Department accords with ESD principlesLegislation administered by the Department accords with ESD principles, particularly in relation to the precautionary principle and protecting biodiversity, as the following examples demonstrate. Section 4 of the Gene Technology Act 2000 provides that ‘where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, a lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation’. Australia’s quarantine policy is based on the concept of the management of risk to an acceptably low level. Australia’s approach to managing the inevitable quarantine risk resulting from the international movement of people, plants, animals and goods is based on continual review and is consistent with international standards and ESD principles. In response to the Human Quarantine Legislation Review Final Report, the Quarantine Amendment (Health) Bill 2003 is scheduled for introduction in spring 2003. How do the Department's outcomes contribute to ESD?The Department’s nine outcomes are broadly aimed at sustaining the improvement of Australians’ health and supporting the needs of older Australians. In achieving these outcomes, policy makers acknowledge the mutual influence between the environment and human health. That is, human activities can impact greatly on the environment; in turn, the physical environment is a known risk factor for many diseases. Therefore, a healthy environment is necessary to maintain and improve human health. Consequently, the three pillars of ESD— environment, social and economic factors— underpin much of the Department’s work. The Department’s Population Health and Safety outcome, for example, seeks to promote and protect health and minimise preventable death, illness, injury and disability. Among the contributions to ESD are regulatory functions in relation to therapeutic goods, chemicals and gene technology (through the TGA) and in relation to the harmful effects of radiation (through the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA)). Access for all Australians to cost-effective medical services, medicines and acute health care is another primary outcome of the Department. This outcome aims to address social and economic factors by achieving better integration of health care strategies across programs, and improving access to services, particularly in regional and rural areas. The Department helps to promote social diversity and economic equity by contributing to the welfare of older Australians and their carers, including promotion of older Australians’ ongoing contribution to the community. Indigenous health policy aims to achieve improved health status for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people—thus conserving and strengthening Australia’s social diversity for current and future generations. Improving outcomes for Australians with chronic disease (through identified National Health Priority Areas) also benefits future generations. Impacts on the environment and measures taken to minimise the impact of the Department on the environmentThe principal impacts the Department has on the environment are at the operational level. The Department is seeking to moderate that impact through implementation of an environmental management system (EMS). In February 2003, the Department released its environmental policy for the core buildings housing the Central Office in Canberra. The TGA established an environmental management committee in 1995 and implemented an EMS to comply with the relevant Australian standard. Both the Department and the TGA plan to seek accreditation of their EMS in 2003-04, for the core Woden buildings and for the Symonston complex respectively. The organisational activities that have significant impact on the environment are noted below, with the initiatives that have been pursued to minimise that impact: Energy usage and initiatives to reduce consumption, atmospheric pollution and greenhouse emissionsThe Department has entered into a contract between the Australian Greenhouse Office and ActewAGL, whereby approximately four per cent of power utilised under this contract is now ‘Green Power’. The TGA has procured its electricity supply since September 2002, as part of an Australian Greenhouse Office whole-of-government supply contract, choosing to purchase ten per cent ‘green’ energy. A project to identify energy costs reduction potential across the many offices of CRS Australia was deferred to allow greater maturation of competitive energy markets in various States. It will be reviewed in 2003-04. To further improve energy performance, the Department (with financial support from relevant building owners) has contracted a major upgrade of office lighting and lighting control systems in four of its buildings— representing approximately 50 per cent of the Department’s accommodation in Woden (ACT). The new lighting configuration will exceed Australian Standards for light level requirements, and aims to reduce per capita energy consumption below the government’s target of 10,000 megajoules per annum. To further reduce lighting power consumption across other buildings, the Department uses energy-efficient light fittings and globes, and has installed sensors to control lighting in conference rooms and non-office areas. Office cleaning is contracted to commence as close as possible to normal office hours and cleaning staff and security guards are asked to switch off lighting at night. The Department’s overall energy use and intensity is reported annually in the Energy Use in Commonwealth Operations Report. The achievement of the TGA Energy Management Committee is significant here. The majority of TGA staff (other than those employed by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and the NICNAS) are located in a purpose-built ten-year-old laboratory and office complex situated on a 20-hectare site on the outskirts of Canberra. The building, of approximately 23,000 square metres, accommodates 450 staff. Although the building was sold to the private sector in June 2002, the TGA continues to be responsible for ongoing building operation. The laboratory function, which accounts for approximately half the area of the complex, dictates that the facility is both energy intensive and potentially environmentally sensitive. The TGA actively manages both energy and environmental impacts of the facility and have achieved considerable reduction in energy intensity usage. The energy usage in 2002-03 (38 gigajoules) was only slightly higher than for 1992-93 (35 gigajoules) though the building area has increased from 18,000 square metres, while the number of occupants has more than doubled from 220. The Department has committed to improving vehicle fleet performance in line with the Commonwealth Energy Policy, by adopting the overall target for 28 per cent of all Australian Government vehicles to score better than 10 out of 20 on the Green Vehicle Guide by 2005. To reduce future petrol consumption, the Department uses some energy-efficient gas vehicles. In addition, the TGA has introduced an initiative to replace fleet vehicles with LPG- powered vehicles as they are renewed. The Department is heavily reliant on private building owners to control the level of energy consumption through existing heating, cooling and lighting facilities. It will continue to endeavour to ensure that future leasing arrangements reflect the objects of the EPBC Act. The Department is also committed to efficiencies in office location and is seeking to reduce building energy and fuel consumption associated with travel between multiple sites by consolidating staff in the ACT, NSW and Queensland Offices into accommodation with overall improved standards. Due to its service focus, CRS Australia seeks to locate its offices for convenient client access, with particular reference to public transport accessibility.
Generation of waste and initiatives to conserve natural resources through recycling and minimise contamination of air, water and soilThe Department seeks to minimise waste going to landfill through the provision of facilities for recycling paper, cardboard, co-mingled material, compostable waste and toner cartridges and bottles. In 2003-04, the Central Office and the TGA plan to join the ‘Planet Ark’ cartridge-recycling program. The TGA’s laboratory functions necessitate continuous vigilance in waste management. Some of the programs in operation at the TGA’s Symonston location are listed below. In 2002-03, a waste management agreement was signed for the disposal of liquid trade waste to the Canberra sewerage network. The agreement includes waste limits and the TGA has an in-line alarm system for monitoring the pH levels of all water discharged to the network. Environmental monitoring for trace chemicals is undertaken in the ground water that flows through the Symonston site. Samples are collected from a control dam and are independently analysed for environmental contamination. The program has been operating for three years and to date no contamination has been detected. Regular audits are taken of laboratory chemical stock—to maintain minimal stock, to ensure it is stored correctly and that it poses no environmental or occupational health and safety threat. A licensed contractor collects all used or excess chemicals, batteries and fluorescent tubes for recycling or disposal on a monthly basis. Mechanisms for reviewing and improving measures to minimise the impact of the Department on the environmentThe Department will use the environmental management system as the key management tool to measure and continually improve our performance in meeting regulatory obligations and managing environmental risks and impacts. A register of environmental aspects and impacts identifies those activities having the most significant environmental impact and mechanisms will be put in place over 2003-04 to monitor and assess the Department’s environmental performance, and explore opportunities for improved environmental awareness and continuous improvement. The Department acknowledges the guidance of Environment Australia in preparing this information. Current mechanisms for reviewing and minimising environmental impact include the TGA’s quarterly operational audits to ensure existing energy reduction systems are working. These include reviews of automatic lighting control systems, power correction systems and building and laboratory operations.
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