Transcript Developing a National Waste Policy

Presentation from public consultation meetings
held 21 April – 1 May 2009
1
Overview
 November 2008 Australian environment ministers
agreed to develop a national waste policy to
provide a coherent, efficient and environmentally
responsible approach to waste management in
Australia
 The Australian Government is leading the process
 A taskforce has been formed in the Department of
the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts to
consult widely and develop a draft national waste
policy
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
The last statement of national waste policy
 1992 National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable
Development (ESD) agreed by Council of Australian
Governments (COAG)
 Included national approach to waste minimisation
and management
“To improve the efficiency with which resources
are used and reduce the impact on the
environment of waste disposal, and to improve the
management of hazardous wastes, avoid their
generation and address clean-up issues.”
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Since 1992…
 All Australian governments have introduced a range
of legislative and policy instruments for waste
management and resource recovery which work
towards COAG’s objectives
 The evolution of policies, legislation and programs
across jurisdictions over the last decade or more
has resulted in a diversity of approaches across
Australia
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State and territory role
(Please note, further state/territory specific information can be found at the end of this presentation)
 All States and Territories
have waste strategies and
legislation to protect the
environment and conserve
natural resources
 A wide variety of
measures have been
adopted
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
The 1992 COAG agreement still stands but ..
 A lot has changed institutionally, socially,
economically and in our environment
 Sustainability needs increasing
– Climate change
– Water scarcity and quality
– Energy conservation
 Seamless National Economy (COAG 2008)
 Time to consider where next with national
waste policy
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Waste generation is increasing…
 Waste generation up by 28 % 2002/03 to
2006/07 - from 32 to 41 million tonnes
 Even with the significant increase in
recycling - 49% of the waste we generate is
diverted into resource recovery activities
(2008 Hyder Report)
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
 Is this level of generation acceptable - how do we
decide?
 How can (and should) we address this level of
waste generation?
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Recycling and disposal rates per waste
sector in 2006-07 (kilo tonnes)
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
Recycled
Disposed
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
Municipal
C&I
C&D
Total
From Waste and Recycling in Australia, Hyder Consulting, 2008 (p. 3)
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Predicted growth in generated
waste by sector to 2020
80
70
Megatonnes
60
50
Total C&D Waste
40
Total C&I Waste
30
Total MSW Waste
20
10
0
2002/03
2010/2011
2020/2021
From Waste and Recycling in Australia, Hyder Consulting, 2008
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Contribution of waste to economy
Waste
Resource
Management
sector
recovery sector
2002-03
(Source: Australian
Council of Recyclers
2009)
(Source: ABS 200203 )
GDP
$1.3 billion
(0.2 %)
Jobs
14,000
2006
$11. 5 billion
(1.2 %)
38,600
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Local government role
(Please note, further state/territory specific information can be found at the end of this presentation)
 Important role as
– direct service provider
– purchaser of waste services
– contributor to aggregated approaches to waste
management
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Australian Government role
 Commonwealth has
responsibilities for
 international agreements
 specific legislation
 participation in national
activities through the
Environment Protection &
Heritage Council (EPHC)
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
National action so far…
 Commonwealth activities under
international agreements and specific
legislation
 Regulatory action by all jurisdictions
through national environment protection
measures (NEPMs) under the NEPC Act
 Activities by all jurisdictions under the
banner of the EPHC
 Voluntary action by business and
community organisations
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Solutions – where and how to intervene?
 How can Australia better capture the value
in waste?
 What mix of incentives and regulation are
needed for the waste management and
resource recovery sectors
 How can this stimulate innovation, jobs
and deliver good environmental outcomes?
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
What do we want to achieve?
A policy that will:
 clearly articulate the objectives of waste
management and the respective roles of
governments
 set out the basis for collaboration between
jurisdictions
 provide the basis for effective and efficient
approaches to domestic waste issues
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
What do we want to achieve?
A policy that will:
 ensure that waste management remains
aligned with Australia’s international
obligations, including the Basel Convention
on the Control of Transboundary Movements
of Hazardous Wastes
 complement the Commonwealth’s approach
to climate change and sustainability
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Potential benefits
 Stimulate economic activity and innovation from our
growing waste stream
 Create jobs
 Improved sustainable management of our resources
and materials
 Greater transparency and certainty for business and
the community
 Simplified waste management approaches across
Australia
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Potential benefits
 Reduced regulatory and cost burden on business
 Greater awareness of waste related issues and
potential solutions
 Pursuit of collaborative action to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and save energy and water
 Capacity to monitor performance of key waste and
resource recovery indicators at a national level
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Policy development timeline
7 April
28 April – 1 May
13 May
22nd May
Nov
Consultation Paper released
Public meetings & a stakeholder
workshop
Submissions close
EPHC Meeting – discuss future
directions
EPHC Meeting – agree a
national waste policy
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
How can you contribute?
 Share your ideas, insights, knowledge and
information at this session.
 Make a submission on the national waste policy by
13 May 2009.
– The consultation paper poses a range of
questions to help frame the issues
– Send submissions or refer queries to
[email protected]
– More information is available at:
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State, territory and local
government roles
22
State role in Victoria

This diagram summarise the roles and of the state government
agencies involved in waste management in Victoria.
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Local government role in Victoria

Local governments play an important role in waste management in
Victoria in the following ways:
– As service providers (either directly or via contractors)
– As landfill operators (most often in rural and regional Victoria)
– As contributors to best practice approaches to waste management
via Regional Waste Management Groups (rural and regional Victoria)
or the Metropolitan Waste Management Group (in Melbourne).
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in NSW

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The role of the NSW government is to ensure a healthy and clean
environment by reducing impacts on the community and the environment
of waste and waste related activities and ensuring the efficient and
effective use of resources (energy, water, materials).
NSW does this through a comprehensive regulatory framework and
through innovative tools and programs that aim to mitigate impacts from
waste disposal, minimise resource use, increase resource recovery and
ensure the appropriate disposal of harmful waste.
Regulatory measures include:
– State-wide planning controls
– Licensing of waste and resource recovery premises and facilities
– Providing clear guidelines on waste classifications and exemptions to
assist with resource recovery
– Tracking of hazardous waste
– Collection of a waste and environment levy on waste going to landfill in
the regulated areas
– Collection and reporting of waste related data
– Prosecution of littering and illegal dumping
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in NSW

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NSW also runs a broad range of waste-related programs, which are aimed
at achieving the targets in the state’s
Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy.
Examples of programs include:
– Improving resource recovery infrastructure
– Gathering information to guide priority setting and investment
– Trials of new approaches and recycled content materials
– Working with industries on product stewardship initiatives
– Grants for Councils on litter and illegal dumping and a suite of other
programs for Councils
– Providing chemical clean-out services for households
– Support for businesses to tackle waste
– Government leading by example through its Sustainability Policy and
Waste Reduction and Purchasing Policy
– Sustainable Schools program
– Aboriginal clean up grants
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Local government role in NSW
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Local Government is primary
interface between community
(households, businesses) regarding
waste management services.
Local Government very influential
regarding behaviour change,
effective waste management /
recycling practice.
Local Government has a great deal
of “purchasing power” which can
impact waste and sustainability
outcomes.
Local Government deals with a
wide variety of types of wastes,
not just domestic: organic (food
and garden), inert, packaging, ewaste, hazardous, home
administered clinical, public place,
commercial, industrial, illegally
dumped waste.
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Local government role in NSW

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Local Government operates to
best of ability at “end of pipe”,
with a limited ability to influence
volumes and types of waste that
come into the system.
Local Government is firmly
committed to the principles of
Extended Producer
Responsibility (EPR).
It’s not just about recycling
Local Government waste
management is increasingly
being used to raise revenue
through levies, which should be
applied back to waste /
environmental initiatives.
Supportive of a national waste policy, one that delivers
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in WA



Waste Authority role
Department of Environment and Conservation role
The Waste Strategy:
– Better landfill
– More recycling
– Fostering alternative waste treatment
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in WA
 Tools available
– Funding – Strategic Waste Initiative Scheme; Community
Grants Scheme; Regional Funding Program;
– Partnerships, education, information
– Landfill levy
– Regulation in some areas
 Tools we lack
– Regulatory tools for product stewardship
 Look to the national level for this
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Local government role in WA

All Australian governments have introduced a range of legislative and
policy instruments for waste management and resource recovery
which work towards COAG’s objectives
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in SA

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ZeroWaste SA provides leadership to define policy settings for waste-resource
recovery
State Waste Strategy 2005-2010
– Mid term review against Strategy
– Draft 2010-2015 strategy being prepared
Five key strategies
– Foster sustainable behaviour
– Avoiding waste to landfill
– Establish effective recovery systems
– Enact policies
– Encourage cooperation
Regulatory (operational and policy) focus by EPA
Draft Environment Protection Policy
Specific reform work for resource recovery sector
– Waste to urban fill; refuse derived fuel; waste to soil enhancer; stockpile
management
Regulatory function – state and national requirements (ie NEPMs)
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in QLD

The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource
Management is the lead Government department for waste
management in Queensland.

Current waste management framework:
– Environmental Protection Act 1994
– Environmental Protection Regulation 2008
– Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Policy 2000
– Environmental Protection (Waste Management) Regulation
2000
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
State role in QLD

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Where is Queensland up to?
– Public discussion paper released in October 2007
– Consultation summary released in April 2008
– Annual publication of State of Waste and Recycling Report
– National Packaging Covenant program funding and enforcement of
NEPM provisions, including Public Place Recycling
– Internal and external stakeholder working groups established to begin
work on definitions
– Department of Public Works Whole-of-Government Recycling Policy for
Buildings and Civil Infrastructure
Considerations include…
– New waste strategy
– Strengthening the regulatory framework, including increased regulation
and enforcement
– Mechanisms to address data gaps
– Improved management of priority wastes
No waste levy is proposed for Queensland at this stage
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy
Territory role in ACT
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TAMS manages waste operations in the ACT
DECCEW manages the policy aspects of waste management.
Recycling has increased from 42% in 1996 to 74% in 2008, primarily
from households, and the construction sector.
Waste to landfill has decreased from 252,000 tonnes in 1996 to
207,000 tonnes in 2007/2008.
‘No Waste by 2010’ is due for renewal.
Opportunities exist in:
 commercial and industrial sectors
 Organic material
 E-waste
www.environment.gov.au/wastepolicy