Reporting publicly on environmental performance is an important aspect of VicRoads approach to environmental management. Reporting provides a snapshot to stakeholders of what occurred the previous year. It also provides useful data to assist VicRoads in setting future directions.
VicRoads reports on its environmental performance in its Annual Report. The indicators are reported annually and are representative of some of the ways in which VicRoads can impact upon the environment. Key environmental performance indicators are:
- To reduce the environmental impact of VicRoads own business activities
- To reduce the number of environmental incidents on VicRoads land
- To reduce greenhouse gases resulting from the management of the road network
- To reduce the amount of potable water used during construction
VicRoads is currently developing a performance indicator on roadside vegetation
VicRoads aims to reduce paper, water, waste, energy and vehicle use in its metropolitan offices at Kew, Camberwell, Sunshine and Burwood East, which accommodate approximately 50 per cent of VicRoads staff. Over time, the indicators below will be extended to include VicRoads regional offices and customer service centres.
The data in the graphs below relate to resource use in the four metropolitan offices. Government averages are based on data from the Strategic Audit of Victorian Government Agencies’ Environmental Management Systems (CES, 2006).
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VicRoads records environmental incidents that occur on its projects and in its road reserves as part of its environmental management system.
Tables 1 and 2 show the number and type of environmental incidents registered in VicRoads incident reporting systems over the past four years. The incidents are reported by the level of severity of their on-site and off-site impacts (1= least severe, 4= most severe). Level 0 incidents are caused by parties other than VicRoads or its contractors in VicRoads road reserve (e.g. illegal dumping and tanker spills).
|
|
2002-2003 |
2003-2004 |
2004-2005 |
2005-06 |
|
Level 0 |
- |
- |
- |
11 |
| Level 1 |
12 |
11 |
21 |
29 |
| Level 2 |
9 |
4 |
9 |
8 |
| Level 3 |
5 |
7 |
0 |
11 |
| Level 4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
| Total |
26 |
22 |
31 |
59 |
Note: Level 0 incidents were introduced in 2004-05.
VicRoads is currently developing a reduction target for environmental incidents. This target will be rolled out in 2006-07 and will focus on the reduction of ‘preventable’ environmental incidents on VicRoads road projects. A preventable incident is defined as “an incident where it would reasonably be expected that controls would be in place in accordance with appropriate environmental management systems to avoid the incident occurring.”
More information on incident reports is available on the Project Delivery page of this website.
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The generation of power used by VicRoads street lights and traffic lights contributes to Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions. VicRoads aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emission levels by 20 per cent by 2015 compared with the level of emissions in 2004–05. VicRoads is currently achieving gains in this area by using energy efficient technology in all lights on new roads and when older lights are replaced. VicRoads will be working towards establishing baseline data on greenhouse gas emissions in 2006-07.
VicRoads aims to reduce the use of potable water (water of sufficient quality to drink) during construction by using recycled water where feasible. In 2005–06 VicRoads began exploring the use of recycled water on VicRoads projects, and expects to commence the use of recycled water in 2006–07.
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