The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is inviting feedback on a new waste Act and the establishment of a new Victorian waste authority.
Executive Director of Waste and Recycling at DELWP, Sebastian Chapman said that around Australia, and the world, recycling markets had faced significant challenges in recent years which had impacted on waste and recycling systems globally.
“One of the ways this challenge is being addressed in Victoria is through the establishment of new waste legislation and a waste authority,” Mr Chapman said.
“The shocks and changes to waste and recycling have threatened our capacity to collect and recycle materials effectively and use them in new products, which is rightly what the public expect from the system,” he said.
“We’d like to hear from all Victorians with an interest in the system and how it operates.”
Mr Chapman said the new waste law and waste authority would set industry standards; improve waste and recycling services; clarify roles and responsibility; and strengthen the sector.
“The proposed new waste authority would set and regulate sector standards as well as gather and manage data,” he said.
“We need that data to understand what materials are being recycled, where they’re going and whether there are markets for the recycled products, that’s key to the system’s effectiveness.”
Mr Chapman said the new authority would assume the functions currently sitting with the Waste and Resource Recovery Groups as well as some of Sustainability Victoria’s work.
He said people could have their say by completing DELWP’s online survey or by making a submission before 9 October.
Further information on the proposed changes and how to have a say and complete a survey can be accessed at this PS News link.
