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Centrelink Environmental Policy Statement

Our Organisation

Centrelink is responsible for effective delivery of Commonwealth and community services that improve the lives of Australian families, communities, and individuals. In 2003/04 it delivered Government services worth over $60 billion a year in social security payments on behalf of client agencies to 6.5 million Australians through a network of more than 1000 service delivery points, ranging from large Customer Service Centres to small visiting services and is staffed by more than 25 000 employees.

The nature of our environmental impact is our very large footprint throughout Australia; and as a very large consumer of materials and energy, we manage sizeable physical resources. Due to our large size and geographical spread, we are in a strong position to influence environmental better practice and to demonstrate to the community our good environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Our Environmental Management Commitment

This Environmental Policy Statement covers Centrelink’s operations throughout Australia and will be communicated to all staff and available to the public.

Centrelink will continually improve its business performance and conduct its operations in an environmentally responsible manner, clearly reflecting a commitment to fostering the sustainable use of the Earth’s resources.

Centrelink will also implement and maintain an Environmental Management System to ISO14001 requirements. We will:

• comply with all relevant environmental legislation and regulations, and other initiatives to which we subscribe
• incorporate environmental better practice into our core business plans and management processes
• minimise negative impacts we may have on the environment, through efficient use of resources, and reduction in emissions and waste
• develop an agency-wide framework for setting and reviewing our environmental objectives and targets, which will include key environmental management and performance indicators against aspects of Centrelink’s operations
• provide regular monitoring and reporting against these indicators to all staff
• incorporate environmental better practice into all technological solutions, and the fit-out and operation of accommodation
• ensure we work closely with our clients, suppliers, local communities, and other interested parties to continually improve our processes in environmental better practice, and
• foster the initiation and ownership of environmental activities by all our staff, thereby inculcating a strong environmentally aware business culture.

Jeff Whalan
Chief Executive Officer
Centrelink
June 2005