ISSUE 126
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How to make product stewardship work By Inside Waste
When it comes to building facilities there is a lack of skilled labour, and reliance on imported components. Image: jantsarik/shutterstock.com
Australian resource recovery the roadblocks By Inside Waste
PP: 100024538
ISSN 1837-5618
Australia’s waste and resource recovery sector is standing at a crucial crossroads. As demand for sustainable infrastructure rises, the country remains a strong investment destination, albeit with some notable hurdles. In a recent speech at the Coffs Waste Conference, Craig Barker, Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Australia and New Zealand, outlined why global capital is still flowing into Australia’s infrastructure, the operational realities facing investors, and the collective steps needed to meet national waste management goals. Despite slipping to third place behind the US and the EU in terms of capital attractiveness, Barker believes Australia continues to offer a compelling proposition for infrastructure investors. Political and economic stability, a strong urban growth rate, and sophisticated capital markets contribute to the country’s enduring appeal. Complex investment models, including public-private partnerships (PPPs) and build-operate-transfer
schemes, also create versatile pathways for funding projects. Encouragingly, Barker noted that the country has maintained positive perceptions globally. “Ninety percent of those surveyed still think it’s a great place to invest,” he said, pointing to recent international data that underscores continued investor confidence. Yet, investment focus has shifted. While 57 per cent of infrastructure investment since 2021 has gone into the energy sector – largely driven by renewables – interest in energy-fromwaste (EFW) facilities has dipped globally, falling from 44 per cent to 21 per cent since 2023. For Veolia, Australia remains a priority market. The company’s global investment strategy highlights Australia, the Middle East, and the US as key growth regions. Australia’s appeal stems from its strong environmental regulation, surging waste volumes, and economic resilience, particularly in metropolitan centres. “We’re seeing increasing legislative
and regulatory certainty,” Barker said. “While some jurisdictions continue to pose challenges, the overall trend is positive. Veolia is already delivering on several fronts. The company has opened a new materials recovery facility (MRF) in Spreyton, Tasmania, and reconstruction is underway on another site in the ACT. In Victoria, a former hazardous waste landfill is being transformed into a resource recovery precinct through Veolia’s EarthSure joint venture with Ventia. The site will include a thermal treatment facility and a soil washing unit, showing how strategic levies and government collaboration can shift waste from landfill to a valuable resource. Other recent milestones include the reopening of EarthPower in New South Wales, in anticipation of mandatory food organics separation policies, and a co-investment with state and federal governments to convert a fibre processing facility in Western Australia. (Continued on page 14)
At a recent breakfast held by the NSW Waste Contractors and Recycling Association (WCRA) in Parramatta, Sydney, NSW EPA head Tony Chappel outlined some of the regulator’s upcoming priorities over the next 12 months. One was the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act which was passed in March. The date it comes into effect has yet to be determined, but it is a good start. Many in the industry – especially those in the processing sector – will be pleased to hear that the EPA and the state government are going to have some “very targeted industry engagement”, according to Chappel. The EPA would be reaching out to WCRA and other stakeholders soon with draft legislation that would be introduced into parliament. “We hope this will essentially establish comprehensive product stewardship arrangements for batteries,” he said. “We know we have the B-Cycle scheme, which works in a voluntary way for certain kinds of batteries. We want to see that expanded, but we also want to capture some of these other categories of batteries that are not currently caught.” He said that this means if companies, importers or retailers are bringing these products to market, they need to have solutions in place for their safe disposal, end-of-life management and/or recycling. “We need this because we understand the existential threat that the fire hazard from batteries can pose, particularly in trucks and facilities, and we’re looking to systemically lower the risk for the sector and for the community,” said Chappel. (Continued on page 16)
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