ABOUT
Who are CRA?
Genuine, hands-on experience operating EPA-licensed waste facilities — not just theoretical knowledge of the regulations.
Operational experience. Practical solutions.
Real operational experience is the whole reason CRA exists — it's what lets us hand you solutions that are achievable and workable in real-world operations, not just compliant on paper.
Genuine, hands-on operational experience
Navigating Victoria's environment protection laws is complex, and most consultancy firms approach it the same way: from the outside, looking in.
We are different. We set out to offer Victorian businesses something rare in environmental consulting — genuine, hands-on operational experience, not just theoretical knowledge of the regulations.
Here's how our background changes the kind of help you get, and why it matters.
01
Operational background vs academic theory
Plenty of environmental consultancies take a purely academic approach to compliance. They can quote the regulations and draft a thorough report, but their proposed controls often look better on a spreadsheet than they do on the factory floor — overly complex, expensive to implement, or disruptive to day-to-day operations, because the people writing them have never had to run a facility under those same rules.
CRA is built differently.
Our team has real, hands-on management experience actually operating EPA-licensed businesses in the environmental services space, including highly regulated liquid and organic processing facilities and the hazardous waste sector.
Because we've sat in the operator's seat, we understand how a facility actually functions — which means we can assess risk and recommend controls that are not just compliant, but genuinely workable in the real world.
03
Navigating Victoria's EPA requirements
Building an effective monitoring program under Victoria's EPA framework requires an expert understanding of what regulators actually want to see in practice.
Whether you need help with a complex EPA application, a response to a regulatory notice, or a detailed fire or environmental risk assessment, CRA bridges the gap between regulatory expectation and operational reality — designing monitoring programs that are rigorous enough to satisfy the EPA and grounded enough for your own site personnel to manage.
02
Delivering workable, practical results
When we develop compliance documentation, such as Environmental Risk Assessments, Environmental Management Plans, or ongoing monitoring programs, we focus on practicality.
Drawing on our team's operational background, we make sure your risk management programs:
- Integrate smoothly into operations: monitoring systems and controls that fit your daily workflow instead of causing bottlenecks or downtime.
- Feature controls that actually work: a control is only as good as its execution — we implement measures your staff can realistically follow, not box-ticking exercises.
- Balance compliance with efficiency: meeting Victoria's strict EPA expectations, including the General Environmental Duty, while keeping your operation efficient and commercially sensible.
04
What years of experience mean for you
- Faster diagnostics: because we've run facilities ourselves, we grasp your operational challenges and risks quickly, without a lengthy and expensive learning curve.
- Cost-effective, sustainable solutions: our history in the waste and environmental sector means we know which solutions have long-term viability and which are likely to fail — saving you from investing in the wrong infrastructure or systems.
- Peace of mind: you're getting advice from people who have personally managed the same risks your business is facing, and who cut through the noise to deliver sensible, compliant solutions the first time.
Our Team
CRA is headed by Andrew Swann, Allan Cummins and Virnushee Balendran, whose combined operational background spans highly regulated, licensed waste, recycling and resource recovery facilities across Victoria.
ANDREW SWANN
B.Com & B.Sc (Hons)
Expert in hazardous & liquid waste treatment and transport, vermiculture facilities and EPA compliance.
ALLAN CUMMINS
25+ years experience in waste management & recovery, including managing organics, oil recycling, landfill, facility management, hazardous & liquid waste facilities.
VIRNUSHEE BALENDRAN
B. ChemEng (Hons) & BPharmSc
10 years experience in hazardous waste management.