The WMRR Board met on 11 August 2026 and reaffirmed its focus on delivering practical value for members while strengthening the Association’s national leadership in waste and resource recovery. Alongside welcoming our new Vice President, Jason Pugh, as part of the 2026-2027 Board, Directors discussed the current program of work that is coming to conclusion over the coming months, including our leading industry report, a new website and membership CRM system, and the upcoming Australian Landfill and Transfer Stations Conference (ALTS).
The Board welcomed the successful delivery of the pilot of WMRR’s Foundations of Waste and Resource Recovery training program in June in Melbourne. The training received extremely positive feedback, and this will be rolled out in New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland this year with a day face-to-face in each state – the first being 8 September 2026 in Perth – with the goal to ideally deliver this also online in 2027 to assist access to our regional and rural members.
Planning is well underway for a strong program of member events for the remainder of the year, including the WA Waste and Resource Recovery Conference, ALTS, the NSW and Queensland WARR Forums, and the Victorian and NSW Women of WARR Leadership Breakfasts all still to come. These events continue to provide important opportunities for knowledge sharing, networking and engagement with regulators and government, as well as industry peers.
Directors also received an update and got to take a quick look at the new WMRR CRM and website, which is in the final stages of user acceptance testing throughout August. The new platform will provide a richer, more intuitive experience for members, strengthen engagement and become a valuable hub for industry information and resources. I am particularly looking forward to the release of what WMRR has tentatively titled the State of the Nation Waste and Resource Recovery Report, expected in September 2026. Designed to become WMRR’s flagship publication, the report will provide an informed national perspective on the sector, supported by a new online dashboard integrated into the Association’s website.
WMRR’s work continues to drive national advocacy, with particular focus on reducing regulatory barriers and promoting nationally consistent approaches that support investment and innovation in the sector, and which advance circular economy policy, product stewardship, national regulatory harmonisation and infrastructure planning. The development of WMRR’s 2027–2030 Strategic Plan at our upcoming Strategy Review Day with State Presidents and the Board will shape the Association’s next chapter and ensure WMRR continues to deliver strong leadership for Australia’s waste and resource recovery sector that captures contemporary industry knowledge and addresses issues as they arise.