Federal WARR Priorities
WMRR has had ongoing discussions Federally to progress the WARR priorities of investment, regulation and markets. Key items on the agenda for our ongoing discussions include:
- mandatory product stewardship, particularly for problematic materials. In August, we saw a formal commitment from the Energy and Climate Change Ministers Ministerial Council that Commonwealth, State and Territory governments would progress work on a national product stewardship scheme for solar panels. WMRR continues to urge federal government led packaging regulation including mandatory design standards, calling for mandatory product stewardship to apply obligations and targets across the lifecycle of packaging, including for soft plastics, as well as other streams such a textiles.
- PFAS management including advocacy for a nationally consistent approach to compost, as well as using the Heads of EPA Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) to improve iCHEMS through labelling and registration requirements (as done in the EU).
- improved carbon policy to assist in supporting resource recovery with for example a remade Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) method, as soon as possible, as well as the release (finally) of the Landfill Gas Method.
Energy From Waste Frameworks
EfW continues to be high on the national agenda following our successful EfW Conference in June 2025, the release of Victoria’s waste-to-energy cap licences in July 2025 and the announcement of parliamentary inquiries into EfW projects in both NSW and Victoria in August 2025. WMRR facilitated a workshop with both regulators and industry ahead of the EfW Conference to assist in progressing the heads of EPA, working towards aligned approaches to IBAA and APCr by-products and emissions. Jurisdictional alignment on these matters would clearly assist with certainty and the viability of projects for all proponents. WMRR has been working closely with NSW EPA to finalise their review of EFW policy, which we hope will be launched in October 2025 along with the first chapter of the residual infrastructure strategy.
State WARR Strategies
The review of South Australia’s Waste Strategy 2025-2030 “Accelerating SA’s transition to a circular economy” saw WMRR hold an industry workshop with GISA in Adelaide on 3 July 2025 prior to lodging our submission. The workshop included updated data insights from GISA, as well as an interactive session for participants to provide feedback on the strategy’s focus areas and targets. The outcome of the state’s Waste to Resources policy review – which addresses SA’s policy and strategy for resource recovery and waste management is also expected shortly.
The review of the Queensland Waste Strategy is also currently underway following consultation mid-year, and is expected for release by the end of the calendar year. WA have also indicated that consultation on their revised draft strategy is imminent, whilst in NSW, we await the delivery of the EfW Framework Review and additional chapters of the Waste and Circular Infrastructure Plan, which addressed landfill capacity in its initial chapter release for consultation earlier this year.
Carbon
We understand that a revised landfill gas method is imminent for release in coming weeks and are expecting the AWT Method to be progressed thereafter. WMRR made submissions on the 2025 variation of the Animal Effluent Method, supporting alignment of crediting terms for carbon abatement methods where possible, as well as the sunsetting review of the Source Separated Organic Waste Method, in which we stressed the need for the federal government to enact all possible levers to encourage organic material to be kept out of landfill.
Spring continues to be a busy consultation period on the carbon front; the start of September saw consultation close on the independent review of Tasmania’s Climate Change Act and South Australia’s review of progress against their Climate Change and Greenhouse Emissions Reduction Act. NSW have released their draft Climate Change Licensee Requirements for consultation, impacting facilities emitting 25,000t or more of CO2-e of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions per year. WMRR also recently made a submission on the Exposure Draft of the legislative instruments supporting the Guarantee of Origin Scheme. Although the scheme is earmarked for renewable energy products in the initial rollout, WMRR continues to advocate for whole of supply chain solutions and systems thinking, recognising that government led voluntary market mechanisms like a broader Guarantee of Origin Scheme that is applied to all materials within existing supply chains could play a significant role in shifting to a circular economy that designs out waste. These sentiments are echoed in our advocacy this month to the Productivity Commission and Climate Change Authority. Given the revised target to reduce emissions to 62-70% below 2005 levels by 2035, it is imperative that industry continues to lobby all levels of government to link emissions reduction with increased circularity of materials.
Batteries
Batteries remain high on the agenda, with WMRR actively supporting the NSW Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act 2025 and encouraging other jurisdictions to implement mirror legislation. The first tranche of regulations under the Act, for e-micromobility batteries are understood to be in final drafting stages by NSW and will be released shortly, following an industry workshop. It is understood that SA is currently looking at drafting legislation, and Minister Dimopoulos has indicated that Victoria will also be introducing batteries regulation. We have also written to the Queensland Environment Minister urging that state to also look to using regulation to address this challenge!
CDS Schemes
The announcements from NSW, SA, NT and WA that they will be expanding their container deposit schemes from mid- 2026 to include spirit and wine bottles has been met with enthusiasm by the WARR industry. Tasmania’s Recycle Rewards scheme – which commenced in May has already surpassed the 30 millionth container mark (expansion of the scheme is the logical next step!). Meanwhile, Queensland’s Parliamentary inquiry into the existing Container Refund Scheme has continued throughout July 2025, with WMRR continuing to voice the need for these schemes to complement and work with the WARR industry and are not solely for the benefit of beverage companies, but also provide an important community service. We now understand that this report will be tabled 16 October 2025.
PAFS Management
The long-awaited release of NEMP 3.0 has unfortunately not done much to clarify where regulators stand on the management of PFAS entering into supply chains and presenting in processed organics. However, the report of the NSW Select Committee on PFAS in waterways has provided a glimmer of hope with its recommendation for national and state action to restrict PFAS in source inputs. WMRR continues to liaise with the Queensland Department of Tourism Science and Innovation with a view to establishing acceptable safe levels and appropriate testing and sampling for land applied organics, having engaged EnRiskS to undertake a review of the previous Queensland approach. In Western Australia, WMRR has written to Minister Swinbourn outlining the concerns with WA organics inputs including compostable packaging whilst at the same time, having DWER take an extremely conservative compliance enforcement approach when testing for PFAS, leading to councils becoming increasingly reluctant to introduce FOGO due to the perceived risks. In NSW, the draft resource recovery order and exemption for biosolids has referred to the NEMP 3.0 levels, with an increased margin of safety, with industry considering the potential impacts for generators of wastewater and producers of biosolids products. WMRR continues to lobby for a national approach to PFAS management to be progressed through the Heads of EPA and discussions continue with DETSI in Queensland along with AORA and WRIQ, to find a reasonable and workable solution to this challenge.
Asbestos Management in NSW
WMRR, WCRA and the NSW government has commenced work on implementing the recommendations of the Chief Scientist in September 2025. With discussions including level of reporting, testing and sampling for asbestos, definition of waste, increased obligations on waste generators to classify correctly at source (and be responsible for doing so), improved tracking and finally implementing a mandatory live rejected loads register.