State WARR Strategies
WMRR has submitted its response to Queensland’s Draft Waste Strategy, and as part of this process a face to face meeting was held with the Minister and an interactive workshop with DETSI. The SA strategy is currently on public exhibition and an interactive workshop was held this week with GISA to garner feedback in preparation for lodging later this month.
Batteries
To be honest, we remain in a bit of a holding pattern on this one. Despite ongoing discussions with states and a recent webinar by WMRR, NSW remains the only state that has passed the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act 2025, and we understand is commencing drafting on regulations to support this. Discussions have been held with all other states to adopt the legislation as per the EMM discussion, and NSW has even offered resources to assist given the importance of this matter.
WMRR understands form B-cycle that it has put on hold its plans for scheme expansion whilst NSW works through the regulations, and we hope that they will come within the mandatory scheme as soon as possible. In the meantime, we still face real challenges with providing alternative drop off locations to remove these from the stream with NSW providing access at CRCs, and SA undertaking a similar engagement exercise with CRCs to provide an interim solution whilst stewardship is progressed. Queensland has a grant currently on offer to councils to deliver this collection service however there does not appear to be any assistance in any of the other states. As such, please make sure every chance you get to ask your state government what it is doing to address this crisis for us!
Queensland Parliamentary Reviews
WMRR has submitted, and the CEO presented in person to two (2) parliamentary inquiries, being the review of the CRS scheme as well as the proposed amendments to the Tobacco and Other Smoking Products Amendment Bill, which covered the safe disposal and management issues relating to the confiscation and destruction of vapes by the Department of Health, taking the opportunity to raise the need for end of life solutions for vapes and other embedded battery products.
Victoria
The Victorian EPA has undergone leadership changes with Mr Lee Miezis moving to another Department and Ms Joss Crawford currently acting in the role. The CEO met with Joss in early June 2025, as well as a meeting with EPA staff on WMRR’s feedback on the BPEM.
NSW Residual Material
EfW has been getting considerable attention of late, with the review of the EPA’s revised EfW framework. Following the consultation in May 2025 for the Revised EfW Framework, the NSW EPA also opened consultation on “Chapter 1” of its Draft Waste and Circular Infrastructure Plan – which articulates a focus on expanding existing landfills (Woodlawn, Lucas Heights), to which WMRR also attended a number of workshops and lodged a submission.
Review of NSW Landfill Guidelines And BPEM
The NSW and Victorian Landfill Working Groups have been driving comments on the review of these documents, with the Victorian EPA meeting with the sub-sector group for initial feedback and written feedback provided by both states on these documents.
ACCU Scheme
The Exposure Draft for the Landfill Gas Method was released for consultation in June and WMRR made a submission following consultation with our carbon and landfill divisions. We understand that ERAC will be meeting in the near term, and we anticipate that they have made a recommendation to the Minister on the AWT Method. There is an upcoming ERAC integrity Committee Meeting in mid-July 2025 that the CEO is a member of.
PFAS
PFAS in compost continues to be a critical issue as state responses remain inconsistent. Queensland is currently reviewing its PFAS position with industry and government following an independent review. DETSI updated its website on 6 June 2025 to capture the review outcomes. WMRR is pushing nationally for clear, consistent PFAS standards for compost inputs and outputs, calling for agreed testing methods and regulatory certainty—especially for FOGO material, which was overlooked in PFAS NEMP 3.0.
WMRR believes that the appropriate forum to drive this consistent response is the Waste Officers Group as part of the Heads of EPA, and we are also working on holding a national webinar with HEPA Waste Officers to address this gap. WMRR has written to WA’s new Environment Minister office Matthew Swinbourn in June 2025 regarding PFAS concerns linked to compostable packaging and FOGO collections, also proposing a nationally consistent approach to this issue utilising the HEPA format.
Asbestos
The NSW Governments’ response to the report by the Office of Chief Scientist (OCSE) is expected shortly. NSW EPA has also indicated it is looking to develop an RRO on Acid Sulfate Soils that it will also consult with industry on shortly.