PEEO

The Division of Provincial Outreach, Information and Communication (POIC) has a long-term plan to establish the environmental provincial extension offices to be based in each of the 6 provinces (Shefa, Sanma, Tafea, Malampa, Penama and Torba). According to the current Divisional structure (2017-21), only 3 provincial offices were being approved by the Public Service for establishment. Therefore, DEPC has established the Sanma Environment Extension Office in 2010, the Tafea Office in 2020 and the Malmapa Office in 2021. For the new Divisional structure in the future (2022-2024), the other 3 provincial offices will be included: Shefa, Penama and Torba.

Each of the current PEEOs have their own work plans and budget, allocated and approved by the main PO office and Department for each given year. Their work plans are based on the overall Divisional Business Plan (BP)which all Divisional staff usually get together during the DEPC Planning Meetings in November every year and develop them. Based on the BP, the Provincial Environment Extension Officers develop their detail work plans to carry out in a given year.

The Provincial Environment Extension Officers are responsible to implement the work programmes and activities of DEPC. They represent DEPC at the provincial level. Any environmental issues that arise in the provincial level, these extension officers are the first in hand to deal with them. Any issue that is beyond their capacity to handle will be referred to the main PO office in Vila or DEPC.

The Provincial Environment Extension Offices are responsible to implement the following activities in the provinces on behalf of DEPC:

• Biodiversity assessment and conservation activities
• Facilitating the establishment of the Community Conservation Areas (CCAs), monitoring of the CCA Management Plans and providing annual monitoring reports to DEPC
• Deal with Preliminary Environment Impact Assessment (PEA) applications and assessments and continuous discussions with the Division of Planning and Environment Impact Assessment of DEPC.
• Handle any PEAs that are recommended for a full EIA at the provincial level
• Works with the Provincial Government on waste matters including any proposal to establish the dump sites
• Works with the Provincial Government on any pollution and climate change related issues
• Organise clean up campaigns with the provinces, local organisations, schools and local communities
• Provide trainings in waste separation
• Provide trainings in composting
• Monitoring of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning technicians to ensure they have proper licenses to operate, including undertake awareness on the work of Ozone Depleting Substances
• Carry out environment awareness raising in the communities and schools, including careers talk
• Participate in any national event or the celebration of the world days such as the National Environment Week and World Environment Day on 5th June
• Undertake enforcement and compliance on environmental laws such as plastic bag ban, including the monitoring of EIA permit conditions, etc...
• Reporting to the main office or DEPC and serious non-compliance issues.
• Part of any environment project that is implemented in the province
• Work with local NGOs and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in implementing environmental projects

Despite the fact that the provincial environment extension offices are based in the provincial headquarters, they are obliged to work with all the islands and communities for the full province. Therefore, their activities that are stated in their work plans in a given year has to reflect somehow the coverage of all islands in each particular province.

The Senior Officer: Provincial Environment Coordination (SOPEC) is the main supervisor for the Provincial Environment Extension Officers. Every six months, the SOPEC will work with each one of them to do their appraisal and submit them to the Public Service. The SOPEC has also developed a weekly and monthly monitoring template to report on their activities which means that each officer has to fill out and send to the SOPEC for verification and approval against their yearly work plans. Any matters to do with office work, welfare or disciplinary, the SOPEC handles them before it gets to the Principal Officer and the Director of DEPC for a final decision.

Anaclet Philip

Sanma Environment Extension Officer
VoIP: 6918
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Tel: 7303118/ 5253087

Frazer Alo

Malampa Environment Extension Officer
VoIP: 7403
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tel: 7364822

Johnny Taio

Tafea Environment Extension Officer
VoIP: 8299
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Tel: 7749752