Recommendation 33

To monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the EPBC Act the Commonwealth should immediately:

1. establish a National Environmental Standard for environmental monitoring and evaluation of outcomes to ensure that all parties understand their obligations to monitor, evaluate, report on and review their activities.
2. assign the Ecologically Sustainable Development Committee responsibility for the oversight and management of monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the outcomes of the Act. Immediate priorities of the Ecologically Sustainable Development Committee should be developing a monitoring and evaluation framework and preparing monitoring and evaluation plans for the National Environmental Standards for MNES.