Federal Government
Whilst Minister Watt’s immediate focus is on the reform of the EPBC Act, the government confirmed its intention to progress packaging regulation in the new year, following advocacy from Senator Peter Whish-Wilson in the Senate Budget Estimates hearings earlier this month. We also understand that there has been limited progress on both the remade Landfill Gas Method and AWT Method. The ERAC Integrity Committee did meet this month (which WMRR is a member of). There was general frustration from all members in relation to the underwhelming nature of the recently released Net Zero plans.
Product Stewardship
NSW continues to lead the way in establishing frameworks for producer responsibility, commencing with tackling the challenge of battery products, having released its draft regulations and regulatory impact statement for a mandatory product stewardship scheme for end of life batteries. Early consultation has commenced on what a mandatory scheme could look like for Victoria. Victoria advised this month that they have commenced the process of preparing the framework legislation, but this is unlikely to be completed until late 2026, SA has indicated that they are also progressing and briefing the new Minister, however no word from WA as yet. In Queensland, WMRR has also recently written to Queensland in an attempt to progress this needed mandatory regulation.
The August 2025 National Climate Ministers’ Meeting confirmed that NSW will also lead the development of the Commonwealth’s Solar PV Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS). In October, WMRR’s webinar on a mandatory solar scheme with the Smart Energy Council highlighted the success of pilot schemes to date.
Container Deposit Schemes (CDS)
The Queensland parliamentary inquiry into CoEX report was tabled in parliament on 16 October 2025. The committee found that systemic issues were “baked into” the scheme’s design from the outset, resulting in governance and accountability shortcomings within COEX as the appointed Product Responsibility Organisation (PRO). The report highlighted a major discrepancy between the scheme’s total revenue—over $2.5 billion since inception—and the amounts returned to Queenslanders, with less than 40% distributed through refunds and under 2% directed to charities. To address these governance issues, the committee recommends reforms such as ministerial oversight of board appointments, mandatory publication of strategic and operational plans, external independent complaints review, and the introduction of safeguards similar to those in other jurisdictions. You can read WMRR’s initial submission into the inquiry here.
Asbestos Management
Following the recommendations of the Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer’s report on asbestos, WMRR is working with the NSW EPA, the Asbestos and Dust Diseases Research Institute, and WCRA, to look at how this can be effectively implemented. The group is addressing the nine (9) key recommendations and the government’s responses to these to improve waste classification and generator accountability, with a focus on mandatory tracking improvements rather than solely imposing new C&D obligations.
PFAS Management
WMRR is continuing to advocate nationally for a consistent framework for compost inputs and outputs including clear standards and testing criteria that recognise a safe level of PFAS exposure. All states have adopted significant diversion of organics from landfill targets and the WARR industry is committed to making safe, quality products at scale that can be used on land for beneficial purposes. However, to do this we require regulatory certainty and safe inputs. As part of this, WMRR is working with WRIQ and AORA and the Queensland Department of Environment, Science, Tourism and Innovation (DETSI), on a potential solution to the previous PFAS Guideline that may include an End-of-Waste (EoW) code for land-applied organics (or a similar legislative instrument) to help address the current investment uncertainty. There are also concerns that the NSW draft biosolids resource recovery orders which proposed a stricter Margin of Safety than the PFAS NEMP 3.0, may creep into requirements for other organics materials.
NSW EPA has however indicated that they will be looking at “control orders” for sites that get caught by iCHEMS due to the presence of PFAS on site -obviously this was not something that we could foresee occurring – given it was aimed at restricting use. At this stage we are not aware of other states taking this approach, but stay tuned. EPA will be providing more information on this as part of the landfill design consultation coming up (see below).
Infrastructure Strategy
The release of NSW’s Waste and Circular Infrastructure Plan has been welcomed by WMRR. In particular, the inclusion of a revised Energy from Waste (EfW) framework in the plan has confirmed the role modern, best-practice EfW technology plays as part of a systems-based solution for managing residual waste.
In Queensland, following consultation in June 2025 on the 2025-2030 Waste Strategy, DETSI is also considering a statewide waste infrastructure strategy, as part of the new strategy. South Australia is expected to release their final Waste Strategy before the end of the year, whilst WA will undertake consultation of their revised Waste Strategy in coming months.
EfW
The release of NSW Waste and Circular infrastructure Plan includes revisions to the Energy from Waste Framework to acknowledge that NSW’s clean air emissions regulations are comparable with the EU’s Best Available Technique Reference Document ( known as the ‘BREF’ ) – something WMRR has been strongly advocating for. It also noted that risks from PFAS in emissions from Energy-from-Waste facilities are low and acceptable.
Also in NSW, the parliamentary inquiry into proposed EfW facilities is underway (read WMRR’s submission here) with a similar Victorian parliamentary inquiry announced for 2026. To assist in progressing understanding of EfW in light of the upcoming close of submissions to these inquiries, WMRR held a national webinar on 21 October 2025 to help ‘myth bust’ disinformation about EfW technology and showcase overseas projects, and produced the EfW FAQs.
Landfill
We have no update as yet as to the direction that the BPEM is taking in Victoria, however we did receive a considered response form NSW EPA in relation to comments that were provided by the NSW Landfill working group on an earlier draft. The Working Group will be hosting a webinar on the proposed Guidelines on Tuesday 11 November 2025.
Also please note that the Phytocaps Guidelines work that is being so ably led by Melissa Salt and Dr Ruby Micheal that WMRR supported is gearing up to lodge an ARC grant in 2026 – so stay tuned for more information on this.