Environmental Requirements for Victorian Farmers:
Legislation relevant to EMS in Victoria

<< EMS in Victorian Agriculture

As part of the EMS process, the business or farm, needs to identify their legal obligations. Being aware of relevant legislation is a crucial step in developing the Environmental Review part of an EMS. Various Acts relative to farm environmental management have been summarised in six booklets in an easy to understand format. The on-farm environmental requirements outlined in this series of booklets are essential for landholders if they are to be effective stewards of the land. For the landholder this means meeting their land management obligations and taking steps to prevent harm arising from farming activities. While legislation outlines the goals of land management and imposes certain specific requirements, how this is done is largely up to the discretion of the landholder.

PDF versions of booklets

You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the document. A free copy can be downloaded from Adobe Acrobat (external link).

Chemical Management (PDF 351kb)

Soil Management (PDF 466kb)

Waste Management (PDF 373kb)

Biodiversity Management (PDF 416kb)

Water Management (PDF 430kb)

Weed & Pest Management (PDF 574kb)

The Acts that have been summarised in the above documents and are most relevant to EMS are listed below:

Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1992
Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Victoria) Act 1994
Archaeological and Aboriginal Relics Preservation Act 1972 (Victoria)
Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994
Conservation, Forests and Lands Act 1987
Dangerous Goods Act 1985
Environment Protection Act 1970
Environment Protection (Resource Efficiency) Act 2002
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988
Planning and Environment Act 1987
Land Conservation Act 1970
National Parks Act 1975
Local Government Act 1958
Pollution of Waters by Oil and Noxious Substances Act 1986
Water Act 1989
Wildlife Act 1975
Drainage Areas Act 1958
Heritage Rivers Act 1992

Up-to-date Victorian legislation can be found at Victorian Law Today (external link).

Legislation administered by EPA Victoria can be found on the EPA Legislation Page (external link).

Commonwealth legislation can be found on the AFFA website (external link).