National Waste Policy

National Waste Policy

COAG’s Standing Council on Environment and Water (SCEW) has previously recognised the strong support from industry, the community and local governments for further action to address the environmental impacts of packaging waste and litter.

The National Waste Policy is supposed to be a coherent, efficient and environmentally responsible approach to waste management in Australia.

The policy, agreed by all Australian environment ministers in November 2009, sets the ambitions for Australia's waste management and resource recovery direction to 2020.

A stock-take of waste-related standards, specifications and guidelines  published in January 2013, found more than 200 current Australian waste-related standards, specifications and guidelines.

There are significant differences in approaches across different jurisdictions and markets.  Particularly since Qld does not have a waste levee, whilst NSW and VIC do.  The review identifies ten areas that could benefit from further action:

a)         Waste compositional auditing

b)         Standards and specifications for the use of recycled materials

c)         Domestic recycling standards

d)         Recycler data collection and disclosure

e)         Energy from waste facilities and refuse derived fuels

f)          Asbestos

g)         Consultation, communications and education

h)         Transfer stations

i)          Greenhouse gas emissions

j)          Data collection and reporting.

The stock-take supports work under the National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources, specifically Strategy 5 which aims to 'facilitate the development of a suite of agreed national principles, specifications, best practice guidelines and standards, to remove impediments to the development and operation of effective markets for potential wastes.'

On the 11 April 2013, the SCEW considered a progress report on the development of a Decision Regulation Impact Statement and noted the progress that has been achieved to date, particularly the focus on consultation with key stakeholders on the options. Ministers requested that work on the Statement and its modelling be completed as soon as possible to enable a facts-based approach on this issue.

SCEW agreed on the need to include end-of-life handheld batteries and waste paint on the SCEW’s work plan. More than 264 million handheld batteries reach the end of their useful life each year and the equivalent of 18,000 tonnes of paint require disposal each year. There could be significant environmental and community benefits to be gained from working with industry to find better management solutions for these products.

Waste Levy Media Frenzy

One of the first tasks for the new Environment Minister – Andrew Powell was given was to repeal the former Government’s Waste Levy.

The previous Labor Government only recently introduced a Waste Tax in December 2011, with a focus on reducing waste & promoting improved resource recovery.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 was introduced as an industry waste levy to create a price signal to encourage waste generators to focus on waste avoidance & resource recovery & to discourage unnecessary landfill disposal. 

The levy was designed to ensure a level of consistency with waste disposal costs in other states to deter unnecessary disposal of interstate waste in Queensland.

It remains to be seen if the Qld LNP Government can find alternative funding streams to deliver an industry driven waste strategy as part of the budget process.

Last night, Tony Moore called me at home to ask for a comment on the increase of waste being trucked into Queensland as a result of the removal of the $35/t Waste Levy....

The next day, this story appeared in the Brisbane Times.

Then the phone rang.

I was invited to be interviewed on ABC Local Radio Station: 612Brisbane by both Amanda Dell and Scott Sparks,

This story aired on Steve Austin's Morning Program.

A little later this story appear in the Telegraph

Gary Hargraves from 4BC chatted to me briefly on his drive program.

I don't fore see the Qld Government backing down on the removal of the waste levy.  The NSW Government is set to increase their levy.

By the time I got to speak to Nicole Dyer on ABC Local Radio on the Gold Coast, I was getting sick of the blame game.

It is a perverse outcome that waste is being transferred across vast distances but we (as a society) need to take more responsibility for the waste that we generate and work with regulators and service providers on better policies and different business models.

Perhaps we need to call this stuff something else other than "Waste"....

Government by Gazette

Government by Gazette

In the Sustainable Business Weekly last week, ASBG noted that the Qld Premier committed the Qld Government to repeal the Waste Levy to take effect from 1 July 2012.  What was unclear was how Premier Newman intended to repeal the legislation.

Last Friday, a notice advising the making of Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation Amendment 2012 was published in the Queensland Gazette on 22 June 2012 on pages 364-365. If one looks at the Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation 2011, it has not been reprinted yet to reflect the amendment regulation.   The regulation still appears to still contain the levy provisions.  However the amendment regulation shows one which provisions have been repealed, so one has to compare both documents to get a good understand of changes occurring on 1 July 2012.

The amendment removes (or omits) the definitions of:

·         regulated waste—high hazard;

·         regulated waste—low hazard;

·         regulated waste—other;

·         prescribed exempt waste;

which were inconsistent with the definitions of hazardous waste in other States.

The Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation Amendment Regulation 2012  simply sets the price of the waste levy to $0 from 1 July 2012. 

Waste levies in NSW & Vic were intended to increase recycling by making the recovery of waste more financially attractive than sending it to landfill.  Now (in effect) it is more financially attractive to transport waste to Qld.   ASBG observes that the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act remains in place and the Qld Government could (in theory) reintroduce the waste levy at a moment’s notice by making a subsequent Regulation amendment.   The rate of waste levy for each type of waste delivered to a levyable waste disposal site could be adjusted.

Interstate Waste, DERM, Vegetation (VMA), Water

What a Waste!

ASBG in its submission notes that when the Queensland Government repeals the $35/t waste levy, it will make it economic sense for NSW businesses to avoid Sydney landfill levies by sending their waste north over the state border. This will occur for back filled loads this year and for one-way trips probably next year. The question is does Qld want NSW’s wastes under it competitive approach between states?

ASBG is calling for collaboration between jurisdictions on waste levies across State borders. It also recommends support for steel and paper recycling.

DERM is Dead

On 30 March 2012 the Queensland Government announced machinery-of-government changes for departments. The functions of the former Department of Environment and Resource Management will now be delivered by the following departments:

Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
Minister: Andrew Powell
Director-General: Andrew Chesterman

Department of Natural Resources and Mines
Minister: Andrew Cripps, Assistant Minister: Lisa France
Acting Director-General: Dan Hunt

Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing
Minister: Steve Dickson
Acting Director-General: John Glaister

Department of Energy and Water Supply
Minister: Mark McArdle
Acting Director-General: Tim Spencer


Vegetation Clearing

Those of you with responsibilities for vegetation management should note that the new Queensland Government is reviewing current investigation & enforcement processes for alleged illegal vegetation clearing.
The Qld Government is undertaking a thorough review of the way that the penalty provisions of the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (VMA) have been applied to alleged breaches of the Act.

There will be a comprehensive review of the application of the provisions of the VMA to alleged breaches over the next six to eight weeks. The review will initially be undertaken independently of the Department by Crown Law, to determine whether or not a wider external review is required.

Approximately 100 cases of unlawful clearing have been prosecuted in Queensland since the commencement of the VMA in 1999.

A review of Water Licensing

The Acting Director-General of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines: Dan Hunt, has referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission findings by the Land Court on inconsistencies in the way water licences have been awarded by the department formerly known as the Department of Environment & Resource Management (DERM).

The new Minister for Natural Resources and Mines: Andrew Cripps wants to ensure the new department uses robust, peer-reviewed science and that it follows proper process. Minister Crisp has instructed the new department to commission an investigation into the integrity of the implementation of water resource plans, which oversee water licensing to ensure there is transparency and accountability in the process.


The Case for Water Efficiency

One can be proud of the fact that we (as a society) made some wholesale behavioural changes and achieved a permanent reduction in water consumption (and wastewater generation). The Qld Government is reviewing red tape and promising to reduce the cost of water for consumers.

Within the next 76 days the LNP Government proposes to appoint the Gasfields land and water Commissioner to better oversee the relationship between rural landholders and the CSG industry. At the same time, the Qld Government shall start processes to amalgamate bulk water entities as part of their Four point plan to reduce water prices.

The future of the Queensland Water Commission (QWC) is under a shadow. The regulation and legislation for home and business water efficiency may be revoked by the new Qld Government in an attempt to be seen to be cutting Red Tape. The QWC is an independent, statutory authority established by the previous Qld Government. The QWC is (or was) responsible for achieving safe, secure and sustainable water supplies in South East Queensland and other designated regions.

The draft Position Paper – The Case for Water Efficiency - has been developed by members of the Australian Water Association (AWA) Water Efficiency Specialist Network Committee to advocate for the continued role of water efficient policies and practices in Australia’s future urban water supply and demand management.

The Position Paper makes the argument that water efficiency is a necessary and effective way of maintaining a secure water supply into the future and should be a high priority in a suite of measures to achieve water security.

The case for water efficiency, will be presented and discussed at the AWA’s Ozwater'12 Water Efficiency workshop The Future Role of Water Efficiency in Australia: Developing and Promoting a Common Approach.

The Qld Government is making plans to write down or write off (so-called) non-performing water grid assets. There does not appear to be any appetite in the Qld for commissioning the Western Corridor water purification scheme for the purpose it was designed and constructed.