Best wishes for the festive season!

In January, the EPA welcomed a new Minister for Sustainability, Environment andConservation The Hon Ian Hunter MLC.

The Planning Review Committee (PRC) report (19 recommendations) was released in March which provided an outline on our current and future development planning, and examined the role the EPA plays in relation to the planning system and scope for improvement.

Deputy Premier and the Minister for Planning Hon John Rau MP declared the Port Pirie smelter Nyrstar transformation to be a major development under Section 46 of the Development Act 1993 in February. Nysrtar submitted a development application and it was supported by a Public Environmental Report submitted in early August demonstrating the environmental improvements anticipated if the site was to upgrade to latest technology. Experts from within the EPA assessed the: predicted improvements in air quality after upgrade; noise impacts during and after the upgrade water quality impacts from the upgraded acid plant; and site contamination management throughout. The EPA supported the development with conditions to minimise impact during construction and to finalise specific details of the upgrade.

The Round-table Conference 2013, hosted by Presiding Member Mia Handshin on 24 May, was attended by 43 stakeholders representing industry, environment and business groups. The conference focused on the environmental pressures identified in the 2012–15 EPA Strategic Plan, and strategic goals and priorities for stakeholders engagement in the newly released Communications and Engagement Framework 2013–15.

On 1 July, a new organisational structure was implemented as part of the on-going EPA Change Program and combined four divisions into two, with the organisation now structured into the Strategy and Business Directorate and a new Operations Directorate. During this time, we welcomed Andrew Wood as the new Executive Director of Operations.

In recognising and tackling particular environmental challenges in the state, we developed our inaugural Annual Compliance Plan 2013–14, which will be a key contributor in helping us to manage these challenges in the coming year.

The EPA released the Adelaide Coastal Water Quality Improvement Plan (ACWQIP) in August, a culmination of more than 5 years’ work and consultation with key stakeholders and the community to improve of water quality along Adelaide's coastline. To support the implementation of the plan, the Federal Government approved $2 m Caring for our Country funding for the next 5 years towards the ‘Catchment to coast focus for water quality improvement across urban Adelaide’ project.

Published every 5 years and the sixth of its kind, the State of the Environment (SoE) Report was presented to Minister Ian Hunter and officially released on 19 September. This important report provides evidence that environmental sustainability must remain at the forefront of government, business and community decision making to ensure the long-term prosperity of the state. It also reminds us that our quality of life, economic success, and social fabric are underpinned by the state of our environment.

As part of the EPA's commitment to engaging with communities and in conjunction with the SOE launch, we initiated our social media presence starting with a Twitter account @SA_EPA.

During the year, we dealt with a range of key compliance activities, some of which were direct response to the community. Of particular note was concern about noise from the Waterloo Wind Farm and the impact on nearby residents. In response, the EPA released the Waterloo Wind Farm Environmental Noise Study on 26 November, which involved monitoring and working with residents to complete noise diaries.

The EPA Board has also seen some changes when Deputy Presiding Member Mr Stephen Hains retired on 3 August, after almost 11 years of service. Board Members Megan Dyson, Jane Yuile and Terry Groom also left the Board when their terms concluded and attended their last Board meeting on 8 April. The Governor of South Australia His Excellency Rear Admiral Kevin Scarce appointed Mr Mark Withers and Dr Helen Macdonald as members on 8 August. I am very much looking forward to working with Mark, Helen and the rest of the Board Members over the coming years.

Many of you have also played host to the Board and Executive team when we visited licensees and travelled to the River Murray, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Clare and the South East, to gain a better understanding of the issues and environmental challenges facing our regional areas.

Some of the other key achievements include:

• The Change@SA 90-day project to streamline legislative process for tuna fishers between Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia (PIRSA), the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry Association (ASBTIA) and our agency to decrease the time it takes for licences to be assessed.
• New landfill bans for e-waste and fluorescent lighting under the Environment Protection (Waste to Resources) Policy 2010 (EPP).
• The new Le Fevre air monitoring stati7on at the North Haven Primary School.
• The third set of Aquatic Ecosystem Condition Reports (AECRs) and the first marine reports released on the health of South Australia’s inland and marine waters.
• Review and public consultation on the proposed revision of the Environment Protection (Water Quality) Policy 2003 and proposed amendments to the Radiation Protection and Control Act 1982 and the Radiation Protection and Control Bill 2013 for public consultation.
• Working with SafeWork SA on a joint initiative to raise awareness about asbestos in the home.
• Established the first groundwater prohibition area at Allenby Gardens.
• Successful prosecutions, investigations and other enforcement actions.

It has been a most eventful year and on behalf of the EPA, thank you for your support. I look forward to working with you in 2014. Have a safe and enjoyable break!