The Waste Authority held its annual planning day on 25 February 2025. Members reflected on the previous year; an environmental scan; an Australian jurisdictional snapshot of key initiatives and approaches elsewhere in comparison to Western Australia; and progress against the targets of the current Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 (the Waste Strategy).
The focus of the planning day was dedicated to the development of the revised Waste Strategy and potential supporting Roadmap actions. It included a presentation by Blue Environment on the results from its multi-criteria analysis and criteria for determining potential roadmap actions, along with potential roadmap actions for priority areas identified through the Waste Strategy review consultation process.
Draft Waste Strategy and Roadmap
Following a comprehensive review process, the Waste Authority considered a revised draft Waste Strategy – Beyond WAste 2030 – Western Australia’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2025-2030 and supporting Roadmap at its 30 April 2025 meeting.
The Roadmap will replace the previous Action Plan, and outlines a wide range of actions to be undertaken over the next five years to deliver the 2030 goals, targets and priorities of the new Waste Strategy.
Key priorities of the new Waste Strategy include:
- Better outcomes for regional communities and Aboriginal communities
- Increasing our focus on waste avoidance
- Better management of high-impact materials
- Realising the economic potential of recycling, and
- Emergency waste management and waste sector resilience.
Subject to relevant approvals, it is anticipated that the revised draft Waste Strategy and Roadmap will be released in the first quarter of the 2025-26 financial year, for a 28-day consultation period.
Draft 2025-26 Waste Authority Business Plan and budget
Due to a later State budget process in 2025, the Waste Authority considered a draft 2025-26 Business and Action Plan at its 30 April 2025 meeting (rather than at its annual planning day). Further work to finalise the 2025-26 plan is currently underway and will be provided to the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Matthew Swinbourn MLC, for his consideration. While the draft 2025-26 Business and Action Plan is aligned with priorities within the current Waste Strategy, a number of actions will start to make progress against priorities identified in the new revised Waste Strategy 2025-2030.
Waste and Recycling data report for 2023-24
A draft 2023-24 Waste and Recycling in Western Australia data report was considered and approved by the Waste Authority.
The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Regulations 2008 requires liable persons, including local governments, recyclers and large non-metropolitan landfills, to report waste and recycling data annually to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.
The data reported by liable persons and supplementary sources is used to measure progress towards targets included in the Waste Strategy.
The 2023-24 data report will be published in a new web-based format, which will include embedded interactive dynamic Power BI dashboards. This new web-based format will allow for a timelier release of the data, with the previous PDF format being discontinued.
Key figures and infographics will continue to be created and published in the Waste Authority’s Annual Report.
The 2023-24 Waste and Recycling in Western Australia data report will be published on the Waste Authority website in its new web-based format, following noting by the Minister for the Environment.
Batteries gap analysis
One of the key priority areas identified in the revised Waste Strategy is better management of high-impact materials, which includes batteries.
The Waste Authority considered an update on a review of how Waste Strategy programs contribute to: getting more batteries out of bins; mitigating the fire risk from batteries in bins; and building the local battery recycling industry in Western Australia.
More than $6 million has already been invested, e.g. through the E-Waste Infrastructure Grants, and the ‘Never Bin a Battery’ campaign, and opportunities for further action are being considered.
Next meeting
The next meeting of the Waste Authority will be held on 23 July 2025.
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