Environment Minister Roger Jaensch announced the change during budget estimates this week, with a commitment that no job losses would occur as a result.

Before the change, the EPA had been part of DPIPWE where policy and government-led functions occur, which has raised concern from environmental groups about the regulatory body's independence.

The change is expected to occur by December 1.

Mr Jaensch said it was intended to separate policy from assessment and compliance.

"The proposed new model will ensure public confidence in environmental regulation in Tasmania and promote certainty for proponents," he said.

Department heads met with staff on Tuesday to discuss the separation of functions, and a video hook-up will take place on Friday for staff to ask questions.

The change is different than that proposed by the Tasmanian Greens who put forward a draft bill earlier, which largely centred on the removal of a "statement of expectation".

DPIPWE secretary Tim Baker said there were three groups of employees within the EPA, but the main change for them would be their line of reporting.

He said those who currently work inside the EPA's regulatory functions would not see much change, if at all, but those who work within DPIPWE for environmental assessments would move to the EPA.

Other EPA staff who deal with non-statutory roles - like Analytical Services Tasmania - will come out of the EPA.

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Mr Baker said the main change would be a "reallocation of responsibilities", and he believed it would likely create additional positions within the EPA.

"From an employment conditions point of view, from a total staff number point of view, as the minister has pointed out, the numbers are more likely to go up, there will be no reduction," he said.

"The department itself has been going through a nine-month program now looking at our strategic direction

"Decisions like this one which coincides with the timing of the release of the department strategy, were discussed and have been discussed at length."

The Greens said it was "past time" that the EPA became independent of the department, and will fully investigate the policy before deciding to withdraw its own bill on the matter.

Environment spokesperson Rosalie Woodruff said independence was "an essential step" to preserving natural values.

The Bob Brown Foundation urged the government to go further and also make the Parks and Wildlife Service independent of its department.

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"Environmentally-oriented National Parks and Wildlife looks after more of the state than any other bureaucracy, especially now it has been given governance of a large slab of former Forestry territory," Dr Brown said.

"And the fact that it is currently a subset of the commercially-oriented Tourism, makes for real conflicts of interest."

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The Tasmanian Alliance for Marine Protection was concerned that past promises of EPA independence had not resulted in proper regulation of the salmon industry.

"Now the government is recycling the same story in preparation for further sea grabs in the north and east coast and we are being told exactly the same story again: that the EPA is now going to be an independent body," TAMP said in a statement.

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