Resource Hub is a female-led waste management consultancy based in Brisbane, with a passion for solving clients’ waste challenges and helping them navigate the complexities of the resource recovery sector.
Resource Hub supports waste operators and Local Government Areas (LGAs) across Australia to help them become more financially and operationally effective and comply with waste levy and auditing regulations.
It’s also leading the charge to improved management of Australia’s waste data by leveraging intimate knowledge of the waste industry, a data-led approach to problem solving and Resource Hub Founder and Director Lacey Webb’s personal strong connections on the ground after two decades in the industry.
“Our mission is to work with local and state governments to get their business processes right, so we can truly work together to define and broaden what is considered to be best practice in this evolving and dynamic industry,” Lacey says.
The waste management industry, traditionally male-dominated, is witnessing a shift as women step into key roles and drive significant change. Three clients of Resource Hub from across Australia: Outlook (Aust), Livingstone Shire Council, and Tamworth Regional Council, highlight the unique perspectives and contributions of women in waste management and the innovations and opportunities that come from a broader diversity of teams at all levels.
PIONEERING WOMEN
Outlook (Aust), a leading not-for-profit organisation operating the resource recovery and gatehouse operations of LGA’s across Australia, stands out for not only its commitment to community and social procurement avenues for local government, but also its commitment to empowering people of all genders in waste management.
Outlook’s resource recovery and recycling operations in Queensland and Victoria are led by a team where women hold key positions at all levels – from supervisor to regional manager and national executive roles.
For the past 30 years, Outlook General Manager Christine Blanchard has seen the opportunities of contractor support for LGA’s – what does and doesn’t work. She says that Outlook is empowering her to lean into those opportunities to get the best job done with the best people.
“And that isn’t about gender, it’s about supporting the right people in the right roles!”
Resource Hub played a pivotal role in transitioning Outlook into new operations during COVID-19 restrictions when Victorian-based teams couldn’t access the state to begin awarded contracts.
It also provided comprehensive audit and efficiency outcomes across Outlook’s facilities in all states, bringing more effective data and process to gatehouse operations, infrastructure business units, and regulatory compliance. Resource Hub continues to provide on-going administrative support to Outlook’s three contracts, encompassing nine sites, in Queensland, and project management and customer service for its Victorian infrastructure business on a monthly subscription basis.
Lacey says women bring unique viewpoints and approaches to problem-solving, enhancing innovation and efficiency in resource recovery.
“As the industry evolves with new technologies and sustainability practices, developing talent and embracing diversity, ensures that Outlook has a skilled and diverse workforce ready for these changes.”
THE WOMEN OF WASTE
Livingstone Shire Council is a tourism focused LGA in Central Queensland, with Yeppoon, the gateway to Great Keppel Island, at its heart.
The region has a focus on resource recovery outcomes across one major landfill and nine transfer stations/bin stations, with an in-house waste management team overseeing multiple contract operators in a complex regulatory environment.
Resource Hub’s engagement with Livingstone Shire Council has been ongoing and transformative. Training programs, tailored to the needs of both council and its contractors, have not only improved compliance and operational efficiency but have fostered talent development across teams – from on the ground staff at facilities, through to councillors and the executive leadership team.
Leading the charge in waste and resource recovery is a team fondly referred to as ‘The Women of Waste’. Leanne Randall, Principal Waste Officer, Carly Weston heading up landfill requirements, and Katie Mitchell, overseeing data and process, form a dynamic team.
Even the council’s on-the-ground contract resource recovery operations are female led at regional management and site supervisor level, and in the leading hand/team leader role.
“The council’s diversion focus, driven by a centralised operational team, emphasises efficient, community-oriented waste solutions with a difference, and the representation of women in so many roles is evident in communication approaches and a drive to achieve outcomes,” Leanne says.
“This team empowers other women across the sector through their representation in decision-making roles. Simultaneously creating role models for future generations and reinforcing that success is measured by impact and not gender.”
REGIONAL CHALLENGES
Tamworth Region, in northern inland New South Wales, is challenged by distance. The region’s flagship Forest Road Waste Management Facility has led innovation for many years. Over time the faces in the team change, but what doesn’t is the opportunity that this heavily agricultural and industrial area takes to find new ways to get things done.
Having worked with the council across a range of projects, Resource Hub was most recently engaged for its expertise in grant writing and facility design, specifically to solve the problem of agricultural plastics such as pallecons, chicken crates and end-of-life school and stadium chairs.
The grant application* proposed a closed loop plastics recycling plant, partnering with a national rail leader and a leader in circular building product solutions, plus 11 other councils.
Tess Dawson, Manager of Waste Services, and Angela Dobson, Waste Sustainability Officer at Tamworth Regional Council, identified avenues for partnership with industry that have not previously been seen in the sector, with a focus on ensuring that there would be viable funding avenues through New South Wales State Government plus revenue models from the waste stream to make the project commercially viable.
Not only did it address waste challenges related to Tamworth and surrounding LGA’s but can be replicated across other regional councils with similar demographics.
“I’m a strong advocate for promoting end market development and embracing the circularity model. I firmly believe, as does Tess, that this is where government intervention is crucial to help the sector gain traction and momentum,” Angela says.
“Initiatives like seed funding for projects or supporting them as start-ups can provide the necessary confidence and resources to explore new avenues. This support can lead to the development of a self-sustaining income and employment model. The private sector alone faces too high risks to achieve this independently. And for the few champions who are trailblazing in this field, national recognition is essential. They are paving the way, and their efforts should not go unnoticed.”
Lacey says organisations such as Outlook (Aust) Ltd, Livingstone Shire Council, and Tamworth Regional Council, exemplify the positive impact of female leadership and what diversity of opinions, experience and attitude can bring.
“As we celebrate these achievements, it’s clear that the future of resource recovery is increasingly inclusive, innovative, and diverse.”
* The grant program remains under assessment at the time of publication.
For more information, visit: www.resourcehub.com.au
