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Environmental Services Strategic Overview of Ministerial Requirements Introduction Government’s policy/election commitments in relation to the environment portfolio Contentious issues & departmental risk Cabinet and the Minister This Minister and his requirements Departmental responsibilities to Government and the Minister Role of officers

Ministerial writing

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Page 1: Ministerial writing

Environmental ServicesStrategic Overview of Ministerial Requirements

• Introduction

• Government’s policy/election commitments in relation to the environment portfolio

• Contentious issues & departmental risk

• Cabinet and the Minister

• This Minister and his requirements

• Departmental responsibilities to Government and the Minister

• Role of officers

Page 2: Ministerial writing

Government (Environment) Policy

Better Environmental laws ...review all environmental legislation &

approvals processes... “environmental approval processes will be open,

rigorous & transparent...greater certainty” “....will be processed in a timely manner...”

...provide an additional $4m over four years to strengthen monitoring & compliance programs...”

Page 3: Ministerial writing

Web quarterly reporting

Page 4: Ministerial writing

Timeliness of licensing

Page 5: Ministerial writing

Top risks to Department’s reputation

1. Regulation of licensed premises – industry regulation 1. Public health2. If air quality and emissions and discharges from

industry do not improve, why are we here? 2. Fire management

1. Public safety and protection of property2. Fire fighter safety and capacity

3. Park visitor safety4. People services – business outcomes5. Staff safety

Page 6: Ministerial writing

Contentious issues - CIBN

Swan Cockburn Cement Limited Southern Metropolitan Regional Council Atlas landfill – Mirrabooka Eclipse Resources – Inert landfill Wattleup (asbestos) dust

South West Millennium Inorganic Chemicals – Dalyellup

Goldfields Kambalda waste disposal Magellan Metals – lead dust

Page 7: Ministerial writing

It goes on.....

Mid West Geraldton Port Authority Northampton lead

South Coast Myrup truck wash Esperance landfill

Pilbara Oil Energy Corporation – air emissions Burrup & Port Hedland air quality

Page 8: Ministerial writing

Environmental ServicesStrategic Overview of Ministerial Requirements

• Advice to the Minister through the use of briefing notes:

- succinct;

- information at the strategic level, not operational;

- accurate information, and as non-technical as possible; and

- clear recommendation of what the department wants the Minister to do.

• Contentious Issues Briefing Notes:

- prepared for Minister to use in Parliament or the media;

- one page maximum – as required by the Minister’s office;

- needs to tell the whole story;

- used to advise the Minister/Government of potential risks or problems;

- speaking points must be from the Minister/Government’s perspective, not the department

Page 9: Ministerial writing

Environmental ServicesStrategic Overview of Ministerial Requirements

Parliamentary Questions:

# answers must be factually correct or the Minister will have misled Parliament;

# answer only the questions that are asked; and

# consider the Government/department’s position in the answer.

Correspondence:

# Answer the questions

# Be empathetic

# Minister wants to help

# The Minister is writing NOT DEC

Page 10: Ministerial writing

We must be on time!

Parliament Sitting times CIBN PQs

Parliamentary committees & Inquiries

Ombudsman If MLU or ESS asks = deadline is

critical!

Page 11: Ministerial writing

Your role

understanding Government and departmental contentious issues and priorities

need to be aware of current events, media statements, newspaper articles, TV/radio etc.

requirement to ensure that accurate information is provided to Government, Minister and Director General

understanding other agencies’ roles in relation to industry regulation

Page 12: Ministerial writing

Role of Environment Services Support group (ESS):

to support DDGE and Directors to deliver quality product, within timeframes set by the Minister and Director General;

mandatory use of Correspondence Tracking System to ensure tracking, version control and approval chain;

information provided should reflect the Minister/Government’s perspective, not the department’s.

Formats response the way the Minister wants it

NOT to check the facts!

You can help by:

ensuring information is technically factual; in sequential order; and at a strategic, not operational, level; and

On time.

Page 13: Ministerial writing

The End!