Federal, State and Territory Governments should work towards harmonising waste and resource recovery legislation to enable a coordinated and integrated industry, according to the House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources.
The Committee has tabled its report, From Rubbish to Resources: Building a Circular Economy, following an inquiry launched in October 2019 into Australia’s waste management and recycling industries.
According to Committee Chair Barnaby Joyce, the report addresses the “dilemma” that the waste a nation creates must be efficiently and sustainably dealt with by the nation that creates it.
“Finding big old holes in the ground to throw it in is a poor reflection of a nation that wishes to present itself as a clever country,” he said.
A key finding of the Committee was that Australia must be effective in delivering a unified approach across states and territories when it comes to waste management, and that the aim of a circular economy is to essentially “design out waste.”
The report notes that one of the most commonly cited impediments to innovation in the waste management and resource recovery sectors is regulatory inconsistency across state and territory governments.
“Evidence to the inquiry called on the Federal Government to use its leadership and coordination capacity to harmonise relevant regulation, legislation, standards and specifications,” the report reads.
According to the report, the importance of consistency was highlighted by a submission from the National Waste and Recycling Industry Council.
“Where federal, state and local regulations are clear, consistent and enforced, waste is better managed, quality resources are recovered and reused, and industry is more confident to invest in advance solutions,” the submission reads.
The Committee has made 24 recommendations including that the Federal Government, in consultation with state and territory governments, implement a pathway to a predominantly national circular economy.
“This pathway should pay attention to the design and composition of products to enable the greatest capacity for end of life recycling, and consider regulation and incentives to encourage greater repair, reuse, recycling and recovery of materials,” the report reads.
The Committee also heard that technology and solutions are not the missing link in developing Australia’s waste management and recycling industries, particularly as there are already technological solutions available domestically and overseas.
“Rather, what is needed is a national framework within which regulation, incentive-based actions, taxes and levies, and long-term policy certainty are key features,” the report reads.
Furthermore, the Committee notes that advocates of waste-to-energy (WtE) technology consider it the missing link in Australia’s waste management hierarchy, and called on the Committee to consider a national policy to provide clarity, certainty and regulatory consistency for WtE stakeholders.
“The Committee supports this position. It has recommended the development of a specific WtE policy, as well as the development of a national methane-to-power program for landfill sites in cities and larger regional centres,” the report reads.
The Federal Government, in consultation with industry, should also identify and consider the inclusion of additional waste streams under the Product Stewardship Act 2011, particularly emerging or complex waste streams such as e-waste, solar panels, medical waste and textiles.
The Committee also recommends that the Federal Government undertake stakeholder consultations to better align existing waste management and recycling funding and investment programs with industry’s needs.
RURAL AND REGIONAL AUSTRALIA
The Committee heard that 23 per cent of local governments do not provide kerbside collection for recycled materials.
“Differences in geographic areas, population, revenue, and access to waste management and recycling infrastructure all contribute to service disparity between local government areas. This disparity is most evident in rural, remote and regional communities,” the report reads.
“Dispersed populations, lower revenue streams, longer distances to larger town centres and high transport costs usually mean that most municipal waste in these areas is sent to landfill rather than diverted.”
The Committee recognises that the location of waste management and resource recovery facilities is primarily a matter for state and territory and local governments.
However, in order to maximise the opportunities offered by rural and regional communities, the Committee recommends that the Federal Government prioritise its coordination and leadership in two key areas.
“First, in assessing the potential of rural and regional towns to manage and process waste. This assessment should consider key attributes of a location such as the regional landscape, existing transport routes, local infrastructure and amenities, and potential markets for recovered waste,” the report reads.
“Second, in assisting with investment in the necessary infrastructure to support a local industry.”
The Committee also recommends that where possible, consideration be given to the introduction of mobile waste management services to help collect, transport and process waste in rural, regional and Indigenous communities.
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