First ever waste plan to tackle the New South Wales landfill crisis

The New South Wales Government has unveiled the first chapter of its NSW Waste and Circular Infrastructure Plan to ensure the state has the infrastructure it needs to avoid running out of landfill space by 2030.

The plan also incorporates updated settings on energy-from-waste, following the recent review.

The first chapter includes recommendations to streamline planning processes, while keeping environmental safeguards, to help approvals for new facilities, a waste infrastructure concierge to provide advice and planning support and a new independent Advisory Committee for strategic waste infrastructure.

The plan also updates the energy-from-waste (EfW) framework and refines where world’s best practice energy-from-waste facilities can be developed, in line with outcomes from the Energy-from-Waste Review.

The review found that EfW is an important part of waste infrastructure planning and that modern, latest technology thermal treatment is a better alternative to building new landfills. There are more than 2000 thermal treatment plants operating in cities around the world.

Despite recent investments in recycling, including the New South Wales Government’s landmark legislation to become the first state in Australia to implement a mandate for food organics and garden organics (FOGO) recycling, waste generation in New South Wales is expected to outpace capacity within five years.

The state of New South Wales’ waste and recycling was made public at the NSW Circular Economy Summit in Sydney in 2024 which brought together representatives from industry, environment groups, local and state government.

Four key pieces of work were determined to fix the waste challenge: plan and develop critical waste, reduce waste going to, grow recycling rates and opportunities and take action to prevent contamination.

Penny Sharpe, Minister for Environment, said the state is in a race against the clock to redesign how to deal with waste.

“If we haven’t got somewhere to put our rubbish in five years, those red bins can’t be collected,” said Sharpe.

“We will not allow this to happen – that is why we have designed our state’s first ever strategic plan to ensure New South Wales has the infrastructure it needs as we build a circular economy.

“We have to do all the things at once – drive up recycling, drive down waste, better regulate dangerous products, increase reuse and repair, and ban those products that shouldn’t be used in the first place.”

Work has now commenced on future chapters of the Waste and Circular Infrastructure Plan, which will focus on regional and rural waste challenges and solutions, as well as reuse and recycling infrastructure. Community consultation will begin later this year.

For more information, visit: www.epa.nsw.gov.au