New South Wales Consolidated Acts

PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ADMINISTRATION ACT 1991 - SECT 27

27 Functions of Council

(1) The Council has the following functions:

(a) to advise the Government on key issues, trends and research requirements relating to environmental education,

(b) to co-ordinate the preparation of State-wide 3-year plans for environmental education (referred to in this Division as "environmental education plans") that:

(i) describe the proposed contributions of individual public authorities (other than local government authorities), the local government sector, community organisations and industry to environmental education, and

(ii) set out performance indicators for those contributions to ensure those contributions meet the specific needs of the community for environmental education,

(c) to consult with a wide range of interested community groups in the development of environmental education plans (for example, organisations of parents, organisations concerned with the protection of the environment, industry bodies, professional associations and organisations representing ethnic communities or Aboriginal persons and Torres Strait Islanders),

(d) if necessary, to establish working groups that are to advise the Council on key issues, or the special needs of groups in the community, relating to environmental education,

(e) to submit draft environmental education plans, through both the Minister and the Minister for Education and Training, to the Government for consideration, and in doing so to report on issues raised during the consultation process referred to in paragraph (c),

(f) to monitor progress on the implementation of environmental education plans against the performance indicators set out in the plans,

(g) to prepare statements on the performance of environmental education programs in the State for inclusion in the reports on the state of the environment required under section 10,

(h) to prepare advisory papers for environmental education providers to provide guidance so that their products, services and programs assist in furthering the principles of ecologically sustainable development and in meeting the cultural and other relevant needs of the community in relation to environmental education.

(2) No later than 6 months after the substitution of this section by the Protection of the Environment Administration Amendment (Environmental Education) Act 1998 (referred to in this section as the "substitution date"), the Council is to publish a discussion paper setting out:

(a) the process to be followed for developing environmental education plans, and

(b) an outline of the proposed contents and structure of environmental education plans.

(3) The first environmental education plan is to be submitted to the Government no later than one year after the substitution date.

(4) The first statement under subsection (1) (g) is to be included in the report on the state of the environment that is first submitted after the substitution date.

(5) An environmental education plan is to be tabled in each House of Parliament as soon as practicable after its submission to the Government.