Communiqué

The Waste & Recycle 2005 Conference Communiqué

Consistent with this year’s theme “(Re)Defining Roles and Responsibilities to Achieve Viable Outcomes”, over 300 delegates from Local, State and Federal Government, Industry, Interest Groups, Academia and the general community reached broad consensus on the following key issues during this year’s annual Conference:

Contaminated Sites

A number of national & international speakers highlighted the importance of taking a risk based approach to the assessment of contaminated sites to avoid the unnecessary expenditure of large sums associated with the prevailing prescriptive approach to site remediation adopted here and in other countries.

Education

Delegates from all walks of life identified:

• That continual communication between all key stakeholders is required to convey the waste management ethos; and
• The need for consistency between both local and state, and industry campaigns on recycling and waste minimisation.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Delegates distilled two key messages around EPR:

• Federal & State governments need to provide strong leadership in developing a regulatory framework for EPR and underpin market development for recycled and recyclable materials; and
• Household chemical wastes, which are currently going to landfill, need to be the first product group targeted by EPR.

Food Waste

Delegates identified the following key issues:

• Food waste was identified as a significant issue requiring urgent attention; and
• A waste management round table (State, Local Government & Industry) is needed to develop integrated solutions.

Landfilling

Delegates recognised the ongoing role for landfilling and the need to focus on:

• Diverting usable materials away from landfill;
• Diverting hazardous materials;
• Best Practice landfill management - particularly compliance monitoring; and
• Comprehensive planning for post closure of landfills.

Regional Groupings

Delegates voiced the need for:

• The reform agenda for regional groupings to be placed on the table for discussion by all parties;
• The development of guidelines for elected members of Regional Councils combined with the roll out of a ‘councillor education program’ with an emphasis on conflict of interest issues; and
• Further development of the regional grouping /Regional Council concept with the view to broadening their capabilities and scope.

Next Year’s Event!

Waste & Recycle 2006 Conference Monday 18th - Friday 22nd September 2006
The Esplanade Hotel Convention Centre Fremantle, Western Australia