Regulatory stewardship is a responsibility of government regulatory agencies. It involves them adopting a whole-of-system, lifecycle view of regulation, and taking a proactive, collaborative approach, to the monitoring and care of the regulatory system(s) within which they have policy or operational responsibilities.

COVID-19 shows that the health of people and the planet are one and the same. The planet has delivered its strongest warning to date that humanity must change. The UNEP believes it has a duty to help nations build back better after the pandemic to increase resilience to future crises.

Tony McKenna from Skills NZ explains New Zealand’s journey to ‘regulatory stewardship’, including designing and are delivering an accredited learning and development framework fit for purpose and equipped for 21st century challenges.

This submission, prepared by Dr David Shearman and Professor Melissa Haswell, urges the EPBC Committee to recognise the full gravity of its task and to have the courage to take responsibility for completely transforming our environmental laws and regulations to enable them to protect the Australian community's current and future health and lives.

This plan complements and supports the implementation of better waste management plans by state and territory governments, local government, business and industry.