• October 24, 2016
• By Jackson
• Uncategorized

The NSW Government has announced a long anticipated $337 million extension to the Waste Less Recycle More investment program. The second phase of Waste Less Recycle More will commence from 1 July 2017 and will build on the successes of the program between 2013 and 2016. Read more about how your business can grow from this government investment .

Minister Speakman said that the NSW Government is committed to increasing recycling and reusing materials and to reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. This latest funding commitment brings the total amount to be invested in NSW waste and recycling programs to more than $800 million dollars over nine years.

Already in the first phase of Waste Less Recycle More we have seen great successes with almost projects expected to process 2.2 million tonnes of waste and create an additional 845 jobs.

The second phase of WLRM funding 2017-21 includes:

• $168 million Waste and Recycling Infrastructure Fund

• $65 million for illegal dumping prevention and enforcement

• $70 million Regional Delivery Waste and Recycling Fund for local councils

• $30 million for littering prevention and enforcement

• $4 million to co-fund activities of the Heads of Asbestos Coordination Authority

Our assessment of the new Waste Less Recycle More investment program for the next four years is that most programs are continuing, with some programs experiencing a decrease in funding. Though there is a big increase in spending on audits, education and EPA compliance and enforcement programs.

A key area ofcontinuing investment is the $48 million Waste and Recycling Infrastructure Fund over four years. Under this fund, $25 million has been allocated for the Major Resource Recovery Infrastructure Program, and a further $8 million for the Expansion and Enhancement Program. These programs will continue to help support the development of new resource recovery facilities, and expand existing facilities across the State.

The Organics Infrastructure Fund continues to receive investment, though with a 40% per year equivalent drop in funding. This perhaps is in response to major investment having already being made in the development of new FOGO infrastructure across the State between 2013 and 2016. A total of $14 million is still available over the next four years in the Large and Small Organics Infrastructure Grants Program.

The EPA is investing heavily in waste law enforcement and compliance programs over the next four years. Compliance program spending is set to increase by 76% on a per year equivalent basis.

This investment will see greater enforcement activities and campaigns to support the major law reforms introduced in 2014, with more significant reforms on the way. In an environment of greater compliance investment, it will be critical for the sector to continue to invest in good environmental management to ensure compliance with all environmental laws.

The team at Jackson Environment and Planning have been very pleased to support many council and commercial resource recovery facilities in facility planning, approvals, grant funding and regulatory support, to help grow their businesses.

The record level of investment in NSW continues and the NSW Government should be congratulated for continuing to support resource recovery, jobs and the environment