Recommendation 23

Immediately establish, by statutory appointment, the position of Environment Assurance Commissioner with responsibility to:

1. oversee audit of decision-making by the Commonwealth under the EPBC Act, including the Office of Compliance and Enforcement
2. oversee audit of an accredited party under an accredited arrangement
3. conduct performance audits, like those of the Auditor General and set out in the Auditor-General Act 1997
4. provide annual reporting on performance of Commonwealth and accredited parties against National Environmental Standards. This report should be provided to the Environment Minister, to be tabled in the Australian Parliament in a prescribed timeframe.