The Victorian Government has released its circular economy strategy – Recycling Victoria – a 10-year plan that aims to overhaul Victoria’s recycling sector, create 3,900 jobs and reduce waste going to landfill.

The $300 million package includes:

$129 million for a statewide four-bin recycling system to separate recyclables, glass, food and organics, and waste. The rollout of the new bins will start next year and happen gradually, informed by the needs of local communities and existing council contracts. There will also be special arrangements for remote regional households and people in apartments;a container deposit scheme to be developed in consultation with councils and industry and begin by 2023; $96.5 million to support businesses to invest in infrastructure to sort and process recyclables. $71.4 million to tackle waste crime, illegal dumping and stockpiling, and management of high-risk sites and high-risk substances.

A dedicated Waste Crime Prevention Inspectorate will be established within the Environment Protection Authority, which will work with WorkSafe Victoria, emergency service agencies, councils and other regulators to improve information sharing and coordination.

Recycling Victoria will also set new goals for improved recycling and recovery in Victoria, including reducing reliance on landfill with a diversion target of 80 per cent.

Collection of waste and recycling data will be improved with a new and dedicated data system to provide more reliable information on the flow of recycled materials.

The Government will also provide $14.6 million to support local projects that boost recycling, reduce littering and take advantage of economic opportunities to reduce waste, particularly in regional communities.

A further $1.8 million will be provided to support charities in handling waste from charitable donations.

Specific initiatives within the $95 million business support package include:

a statewide education program to help households, businesses and councils transition to the new system$30 million in new grants for recycling innovation$10 million in new grants to help business reduce waste and increase recycling in their daily operations$10 million in funding for waste-to-energy initiatives, a $7 million Business Innovation Centre to develop new, innovative technology and solutions to waste problems.

To ensure consistency across the state, the Government will make waste collection an essential service and establish a new dedicated authority to better govern the recycling system.

The Government will progressively increase the landfill levy over coming years to bring it into line with other states and discourage dumping of rubbish from New South Wales and South Australia.

The change reflects an agreement reached by state and territory Treasurers to work towards the harmonisation of landfill levies and will provide a strong incentive to reduce and recycle waste, and drive innovation in new waste technologies.

Australia needs a roadmap to get its energy system ready for an electric vehicle future, according to the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC).

Releasing an issues paper as part of its 2020 Retail Energy Competition Review, the commission said planning for the boost in energy use from electric vehicles will ensure the new technology has a positive impact on the energy market.

The goals of the issues paper are:

1. To assess whether energy retailers are innovating in relation to the technology to provide customers with offers they want. Traditionally economists consider that a key benefit of contestable and competitive markets is that they provide incentives for businesses to innovate to provide new or diversified products to meet consumers needs. By picking a prominent new technology and assessing whether this is occurring assists our overarching assessment of the state of competition in the retail energy market.

2. To analyse if there are any retail regulatory barriers to innovation occurring. Assessing the barriers is important because as the policy adviser to governments and rule maker in the sector the Commission can then recommend rule changes to remove any barriers.

“Electric vehicles will boost demand for electricity and could have a big impact on the energy market,” AEMC Acting Chief Executive Suzanne Falvi said.

“Sales of electric vehicles increased by more than 200% between 2018 and 2019 and we need to lock in lower-cost ways to support consumers who want them. If we get ahead of the curve, we can make sure this technology makes a positive contribution to our future power system and doesn’t become another cost driver.

“We’re starting a conversation today with this issues paper to generate ideas and identify what barriers to innovation there might be that could stop new electric vehicle products and services reaching consumers,” she said.

The commission’s issues paper highlights public charging stations as one example of how electric vehicles can have a large impact on the grid. One eight-charger station built in Adelaide in 2017 was equivalent to the connection of 100 new homes.

The paper also says that while electric vehicles have an obvious value as a mode of clean transport, they could also benefit the market by promoting more efficient use of the infrastructure we already have.

“Electric vehicles have potential to put energy power back in the hands of consumers and help keep the system reliable and secure,” Falvi said.

“With the right systems in place, households can charge their vehicles when energy is cheap and have the option to sell power back into the grid when it’s more expensive. Along with solar PV and smart appliances, electric vehicles can be part of a consumer’s future toolkit to reduce their energy output when prices are high.”

According to the AEMC issues paper, digitalisation will see smart and flexible charging systems benefiting consumers without any conscious effort and — given the right market signals — electric vehicle charging load could provide a significant demand response resource for the system.

Technology developments might also increase potential for households to use electric vehicle batteries ‘behind the meter’ to soak up excess rooftop solar generation and then discharge electricity to their own home or to the grid. Few retail products are currently targeting this market due to the limited uptake of electric vehicles.

“Electric vehicles are an opportunity for retailers or new energy providers to innovate with new residential products,” Falvi said.

“While existing consumer protections must apply to new products and services, we need to make sure that existing rules and regulations don’t stifle innovation.”

The commission wants to know what products and services are being developed for residential and public charging, including in workplaces, shopping centres and car parks. It also wants to know whether retail market competition is resulting in innovation in this space.

In asking stakeholders for feedback, the commission is considering whether any existing retail regulation is creating barriers to electric vehicle use.

Submissions to the issues paper close 19 March 2020.

To access the issues paper, please go here.

A new report review of current Australian standards and specifications for recycled content products has highlighted the challenges of creating markets and demands for products manufactured with recycled material.

The report, undertaken by Equilibrium, show that Australia lacks national standards or specifications for recycled content, as well as mandated procurement targets and market certainty.

As part of the engagement Equilibrium consulted with key stakeholders on their views as to whether the absence of any particular standards or specifications may be obstructing the take-up of recycled materials. Stakeholder interviews also canvassed broader factors influencing increased use of recycled materials.

The report contains a list of current standards and specifications as well as a compilation of the consultation results, general findings and recommendations. Also attached is a summary report containing examples from the main report, as well as information gained from interviews with stakeholders.

A copy of the report and appendices are available here.

The Western Australian Government has announced they will adopt nearly all of the recommendations included in the Economics and Industry Standing Committee’s September report into short-stay accommodation, including a standardised registration scheme for short stay accommodation providers and allowing for variance through local planning requirements.

The Levelling the Playing Field -- Managing the impact of the rapid increase of Short-Term Rentals in Western Australia made 10 recommendations to both improve the current outdated and inconsistent policy which governs short-term rentals and create greater certainty for the tourism industry, accommodation providers, and guests.

Recommendations included a framework review with standardised definitions, shared data from online providers, and a requirement for accommodation providers to cite their registration number in any promotional material – all embraced in the State’s response.

It also is working on amending land use definitions to differentiate between hosted and un-hosted accommodation; looking into introduce deemed provisions into all planning schemes for hosted accommodation and seeking to have them exempt from local government approval; updating strata title guidance to include powers and processes open to strata companies to manage short-term rentals; and developing an education campaign to ensure owners, property managers, and purchasers are aware of their obligations regarding short-term rental properties.

WA Local Government Association President, Cr Lynne Craigie welcomed the changes, saying the initial inquiry was the result of an extensive consultation process including WALGA and Local Governments, with the sector supporting the Committee’s recommendations.

“The sector has been advocating for modernisation of the planning framework as it relates to short term accommodation, as the existing framework is not effective in addressing this emerging sector,” Cr Craigie said. “The introduction of a State-wide registration process will greatly assist Local Governments in their work identifying and managing compliance of short-term accommodation premises.”

Safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing is critical for recovery from mental ill-health and for being able to access appropriate support services, according to a report by Mind Australia and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.

According to the report, the key issues are: decreasing housing affordability, social housing shortages, and a lack of supported housing. The housing, homelessness and mental health policy systems are crisis-driven and are not well integrated, which means that many people struggle to access the supports they need when they need them.

The quantitative analysis showed that poor and deteriorating mental health directly impact housing stability (as measured by forced moves and financial hardship). People who experienced severe psychological distress had an 89 per cent increased likelihood of financial hardship in the following year and a 96 per cent increased likelihood of financial hardship within two years.

People with a diagnosed mental health condition had a 39 per cent increased likelihood of experiencing a forced move within one year. Most people within the general population experienced only relatively short periods of mental ill-health: 66 per cent recovered within a year and 89 per cent recovered within three years.

The analysis showed that mediating factors, such as social support, good general health, and accessing mental health and other health services, can reduce the likelihood of housing instability and shorten the length of time a person experiences mental ill-health. Conversely, an absence of mediating factors and experience of negative life events can amplify the relationship between housing instability and mental ill-health.

People who had deteriorating mental health (to the point where they experienced symptoms of anxiety, depression and mental distress) and who did not access health services were 58 per cent more likely to experience a forced move within the next two years, and were 35 per cent more likely to experience financial hardship within one year. Social support reduced the likelihood that a person would experience deteriorating mental health to the point where a they had symptoms by 33 per cent.

The full report is available at https://www.ahuri.edu.au/research/trajectories

Fire-affected councils will soon be able to use download a free document on buildings in bushfire-prone areas following an agreement between the Australian Government and Standards Australia.

The two entities have agreed to jointly fund access to AS 3959:2018 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas until 30 June 2021.

AS 3959 gives guidance to professionals in the building and construction industry, and is primarily concerned with improving the ability of buildings in designated bushfire-prone areas to better withstand bushfires.

AS 3959:2018, Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas, will soon be available as a PDF.

Further information is available here

The Federal Government has formally announced the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements following the recent bushfires, which will examine areas including the responsibilities and coordination between Australia’s three levels of government, and how they share resources.

The Inquiry’s terms of reference include land management, land-use planning, zoning and development approval including building standards, urban safety, public infrastructure and the incorporation of natural disaster considerations.

The terms of reference are to examine:

the responsibilities of, and coordination between, the Commonwealth and State, Territory and local Governments relating to preparedness for, response to, resilience to, and recovery from, natural disasters, and what should be done to improve these arrangements, including with respect to resource sharing;Australia’s arrangements for improving resilience and adapting to changing climatic conditions, what actions should be taken to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters, and whether accountability for natural disaster risk management, preparedness, resilience and recovery should be enhanced, including through a nationally consistent accountability and reporting framework and national standards;any relevant matter reasonably incidental to a matter referred to in paragraphs (a) to (c).the findings and recommendations (including any assessment of the adequacy and extent of their implementation) of other reports and inquiries that you consider relevant, including any available State or Territory inquiries relating to the 2019-2020 bushfire season, to avoid duplication wherever possible;any ways in which the traditional land and fire management practices of Indigenous Australians could improve Australia’s resilience to natural disasters.

The three Commissioners, led by Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin AC (Retd), will call for public submissions from March, and are expected to hold public hearings in a number of locations across the country.

The final report is due by August 31.

Further information about the Royal Commission is available here.

The Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC) has coordinated the formation of a Western Sydney Energy Program (WSEP) which aims to reduce Western Sydney’s emissions by 200,000 tonnes of CO2e reductions each year.

The program, which brings together nine councils in Western Sydney will focus on the four key areas: renewable energy, transport infrastructure, supporting communities, and implementing best practice in energy planning and design for buildings and precincts.

Councils participating in the program include Blacktown City, Blue Mountains City, Cumberland City, Fairfield City, Hawkesbury City, The Hills Shire, Lithgow City, Liverpool City and the City of Parramatta.

Initial projects being developed under the Program include the development of a renewable energy PPA, a business support program and building design guidelines for councils. Additional projects will be scoped as the WSEP continues to roll out.

WSROC President Clr Barry Calvert said “Councils are already achieving remarkable goals in projects geared towards a low-emissions future, embracing projects and technologies such as increased solar installations and low carbon vehicles.

“Successful programs to date – both WSROC-led and individual council initiatives – have already saved more than $1.2m and almost 500,000 tCO2e annually through lighting and equipment upgrades, waste management, solar installations, and smart technology initiatives.

“The Western Sydney Energy Program will assist us to align and maximise our efforts. Ensuring Western Sydney is prepared to transition to an energy efficient, low carbon future is critical for community wellbeing," Cr Calvett said.

More information is here

Almost half of the councils the Federal Government announced would be eligible for a $1 million drought grant during the election did not meet the funding criteria.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, and then-agriculture minister David Littleproud announced last April if the Coalition was elected it would add 14 local government areas to the list of councils eligible for grants of up to $1 million.

However, a response provided in Senate estimates shows that six of the councils did not meet the requirement that at least 17 per cent of workers in the local government authority be employed in agriculture, and that 13 of the 14 of the councils awarded the grants were in coalition-held electorates.

The 14 councils added to the Drought Communities Program during last year's election campaign were: Balranald, Berrigan, Coolamon, Federation, Hay, Adelaide Plains, Alexandrina, Copper Coast, Port Pirie City and District, Renmark Paringa, Unincorporated Far North, Latrobe, Mildura, and Yarriambiak.

There are now 163 councils across Australia eligible for the Drought Communities Program.

Roads in Randwick City are being paved with asphalt containing crushed recycled glass as part of an innovative trial to find practical uses for recycled products.

Randwick City Mayor Danny Said announced that Council is trialling the recycled glass asphalt mix on streets in Randwick and Maroubra incorporating crushed glass from an estimated 224,000 recycled glass bottles.

“Three trial roads in Randwick and Maroubra have recently been paved containing the recycled glass content. This asphalt uses recycled glass bottles taken from residential recycling bins which are then crushed into a fine powder and used as a sand replacement in the asphalt.

“To date, the feedback we have received is positive with the glass component performing well in local roads with comparable wear, lifespan and flexibility to non-recycled asphalt.

“Every year, Council collects 10,000 tonnes of recycled material in our local area. With the recycling crisis currently facing NSW, I’m hopeful that this type of progressive reuse of recycled material can be expanded to other material such as plastics for use in future road projects,” commented Mayor Said.

Downer’s General Manager – Pavements, Stuart Billing, said the innovative trial demonstrates the importance of partnerships with other thought leaders to create economic, social and environmental value for products that would more than likely end up in landfill, stockpiled, or as a pollutant in our natural environments.

“Together with Randwick Council we are creating new avenues to recycle and repurpose waste materials into new streams of use and reducing the community’s reliance upon increasingly scarce virgin materials.

“Further to the initial benefits of repurposing recycled materials in asphalt, Downer has the capability to perpetually recycle these pavements into the future, providing a truly sustainable solution,” said Mr Billing.

The three recycled glass road projects have been paved on Evans Street in Randwick (between Govett St and Darley Rd), Maroubra Rd in Maroubra (between Malabar Rd and The Causeway) and Carter Lane in Randwick.