WMRR
WMRR is kicking of the 2021-22 financial year with a new monthly bulletin – “WMRR Wrap Up” – which will showcase the Association’s activities, media releases, a snapshot of our CEO’s appearances in mainstream and trade media, and WMRR’s policy submissions for the month (in this iteration, we will look back on activities in June), as well as a few of our forthcoming events and conferences. You will also find WMRR CEO’s bi-monthly Inside Waste CEO column and National President’s Board communiqué in most of these bulletins. We hope you enjoy our WMRR Wrap Up.
From the CEO's desk
Industry has long advocated that waste management and resource recovery is a shared responsibility that requires the introduction of policies such as polluter-pays and extended producer responsibility (EPR) for difficult-to-recycle materials as this is the most effective way to drive circularity as well as sustainable product design. However, to date, we often remain the whipping boy, quietly receiving materials that are in fact problematic, then copping the blame and responsibility for where these materials might end up. Again this week, we have seen that problematic materials such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS, are materials that also evoke an emotional response from community, however they continue to be placed on the market, often without consumer awareness and knowledge. Yet when they arrive in our facilities, the regulator and community can often take a very harsh view of our industry, even though we do not generate, largely because the full picture has not been adequately painted. WMRR is proposing a national framework for labelling, disposing and storing of PFAS. Read more
In the month of June, WMRR has been actively advocating on behalf of industry across a range of significant policy and regulatory changes to meet the diverse needs of our members.
WMRR's new National President
Following a hotly contested election earlier this year, Mr Geoffrey Webster officially stepped into the role of National President of WMRR till 2023 at the 8 June 2021 AGM.
“Once you’re in the waste and resource recovery industry, it gets in your blood and it seems you are destined to never leave,” says Mr Webster.
This happened to Mr Webster many years ago and it is now a passion that drives many facets of his career and business. Having sat in both consulting and operational roles through his career, performing at senior management level, Mr Webster provides the right qualities to support and lead WMRR’s continued activities in this space. WMRR is a critical element in ensuring its members succeed in a challenging environment and having been exposed to so many elements from all facets of the industry, Mr Webster has the skills to complement the rest of the Board and the management team in delivering on the needs of the WMRR Presidency.
Read more about WMRR’s Board of Directors.
WMRR extends its appreciation and gratitude to Mr Garth Lamb, who stepped down from the National President role after completing the maximum two (2) two (2)-year terms.
Mr Webster has also stepped down as Vice President of the SA Branch Committee to commence his role as WMRR National President. Following a nomination in May and an election in June, Ms Tiana Nairn, Policy Group Manager at LMS Energy has been elected as VP of the SA Branch Committee.
WMRR members may access all of the Association’s policy submissions here; members will need to login to view these documents.
WMRR’s media releases can be found here.
In the media
Conferences and events
WMRR’s beloved Australian Landfill and Transfer Stations Conference (ALTS) was back this year, bringing together industry leaders, government representatives and technical experts in June against the sparkling backdrop of Sydney’s CBD and Darling Harbour.
Hosted at Doltone House on Pyrmont’s picturesque Darling Island, the three (3)-day event was packed with discussions on the policy, regulation and technology that are shaping the future of landfills and transfer stations in Australia, and the shifting role of this infrastructure in our essential waste and resource recovery (WARR) industry.
Read the ALTS conference wrap-up here.