In line with its long term strategic planning, Carrathool Shire is working to have its operations accredited to the world’s leading environmental standard, ISO 14001, by August 2002. To achieve the standard Council is required to develop and implement a strict environmental management system (EMS).
This must be monitored regularly and demonstrate continuous improvement in environmental performance. It must meet 15 criteria that cover processes for identifying and addressing environmental impacts, emergency preparedness and response, training, and employee and contractor awareness.
“Development of an EMS to ISO 14001 certification will be a clear demonstration of Council’s commitment to environmental performance improvement,” said General Manager, James Roncon. “It will assist us to reduce our impacts on the environment and place us as a leader in Local Government environmental management. Aside from the environmental benefits, we expect to generate substantial savings through improved management of potentially expensive environmental problems.”
The EMS is being developed by Council with the assistance of Omega Environmental Strategies which provides environmental advice to organisations throughout Australia and overseas.
Andrew Wales, Senior Partner with Omega said that greater demands are being placed on Local Government to demonstrate that they are good ‘environmental citizens’.
“Within a few years it will no longer be acceptable to simply say you are an environmentally responsible organisation, you will need to prove it,” he said. “An internationally accredited environmental management system is the best way to meet this challenge.”
An environmental management steering committee, comprising the Mayor and Council staff, has been set up to oversee and implement the necessary actions for achieving the ISO 14001 standard. Once the EMS is accredited, Carrathool Shire Council believes it will be only the third in Australia, and the first regional Council in the world, to be awarded ISO 14001 across its entire operations.
