This paper discusses the development and scope of application of a systems engineering based tool, termed PPAS (Pollution Prevention Analytical System), for environmental management of industrial estates with a major petrochemical component. The top-level function of PPAS is to reduce/control the generation of pollutants over the whole life-cycle of production and to minimise wastes and risks. The PPAS being developed at RMIT, is a synthesis of the systems engineering approach, cleaner production methods, optimisation techniques, microeconomic concepts, and the casual modelling and econometric methods which are relevant to the planning, design, and management of systems.