The regulation of environmental management in the minerals and
petroleum industries has been undergoing considerable change
over the past decade. In recent years, there has been a distinct
trend towards smaller government and increased environmental
awareness. Current regulatory systems have generally neither
responded to these trends nor effectively dealt with the demands
placed on them. There is a need to develop a more effective
means of providing assurance to Government and the community
that its environmental objectives are being met. These means
must also enable industry to have an effective environmental
management process.