ministerial writing
TRANSCRIPT
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
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...”
Web quarterly reporting
Timeliness of licensing
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
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
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
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
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
We must be on time!
Parliament Sitting times CIBN PQs
Parliamentary committees & Inquiries
Ombudsman If MLU or ESS asks = deadline is
critical!
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
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.
The End!