Western Australian Consolidated Acts

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT 1986 - SECT 4A

4A .         Object and principles of Act

                The object of this Act is to protect the environment of the State, having regard to the following principles —

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1.         The precautionary principle         Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing measures to prevent environmental degradation.

In the application of the precautionary principle, decisions should be guided by —             (a)         careful evaluation to avoid, where practicable, serious or irreversible damage to the environment; and             (b)         an assessment of the risk-weighted consequences of various options.

2.         The principle of 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.

3.         The principle of the conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity         Conservation of biological diversity and ecological integrity should be a fundamental consideration.

4.         Principles relating to improved valuation, pricing and incentive mechanisms         (1)         Environmental factors should be included in the valuation of assets and services.         (2)         The polluter pays principle — those who generate pollution and waste should bear the cost of containment, avoidance or abatement.         (3)         The users of goods and services should pay prices based on the full life cycle costs of providing goods and services, including the use of natural resources and assets and the ultimate disposal of any wastes.

(4)         Environmental goals, having been established, should be pursued in the most cost effective way, by establishing incentive structures, including market mechanisms, which enable those best placed to maximise benefits and/or minimise costs to develop their own solutions and responses to environmental problems.

5.         The principle of waste minimisation         All reasonable and practicable measures should be taken to minimise the generation of waste and its discharge into the environment.

        [Section 4A inserted by No. 54 of 2003 s. 122.]