Frequently Asked Questions

What is AELERT?

AELERT is a network of environmental regulatory agencies.

Its aim is to build relationships between jurisdictions to facilitate the sharing of information and improve the regulatory compliance capacity of member agencies. It also seeks to develop national standards for training and best practice in environmental regulation. It functions at two levels: the Australasian level (First Tier) and within individual jurisdictions (Second Tier).

AELERT endeavours to advance environmental sustainability by helping environmental regulators achieve best practice through promotion of inter-agency cooperation, cross-pollination of expertise, and the provision of a cooperative forum to raise professional standards in the administration of environmental law.

What are the advantages of AELERT?

AELERT provides:
- A ‘brains trust’ of like-minded regulators facing common issues, into which member agencies can tap into for collegiate information sharing and assistance
- Shared solutions to common problems, and the ability to amortise development costs (e.g. for compliance manuals) across a number of jurisdictions and agencies
- A conduit for networking with co-regulators
- A means of identifying and tapping into emerging best practice in environmental regulation.

AELERT has no up-front membership fee.

Individual agencies can engage within AELERT as much or as little as they see fit or their resourcing permits.

Who can join AELERT?

AELERT has two forms of membership: Full Membership and Affiliate Membership.

Full Membership of AELERT is open to any Government agency in Australasia with environmental regulatory responsibilities. For the purpose of AELERT membership eligibility, environmental regulatory responsibilities are defined as responsibilities for administering legislation relating to the environment, heritage or natural resource management.

Affiliate Membership may be granted at the discretion of the AELERT Steering Committee. Eligible organisations may include:
- Government agencies without environmental regulatory responsibilities, but for whom engagement with AELERT may be mutually beneficial
- Academic institutions whose engagement may further the objectives of AELERT.

Affiliate Membership is granted at the discretion of the AELERT Steering Committee (AELERT’s primary governance body), and generally occurs by exception. In order to receive favourable consideration, the organisation seeking Affiliate Membership must demonstrate that its engagement by AELERT would further AELERT’s objectives.

Affiliate members may be granted limited access to AELERT resources and the intellectual property of member agencies. Access, if any, will be determined by the Steering Committee on a case-by-case basis. Affiliate members will not be formally represented on the Steering Committee.

How does my agency join AELERT?

Print-off and complete the membership form (Appendix 1 to the Charter, available from the AELERT website).

Send the completed form, along with a brief outline of the agency’s role & functions, to the AELERT Secretariat at secretariat@aelert.com.au. These may be sent in pdf form by email, with hardcopy follow up.

Once the application is received it will be considered by the AELERT Executive. Once approved, your agency would automatically become a full member of AELERT and you will be advised accordingly.

Once full membership is granted the agency’s listed point of contact will be given a user ID and password so agency members can access the member’s area on the AELERT website.

How can my agency participate in AELERT activities?

In order to access the maximum benefits of AELERT, member agencies are encouraged to:
- Nominate agency members to participate in an executive role on the Steering Committee or on a relevant sub-committee
- Send a contingent to the annual AELERT Conference
- Send selected agency officers on AELERT-sponsored courses, such as Cert IV or the Diploma
- Participate in the relevant Second Tier forums
- Engage with the relevant jurisdictional representatives to ensure the agency’s views are represented to the AELERT Steering Committee
- Access useful information through the AELERT resource library.