SHANE Rattenbury is inviting industry and commercial stakeholders and other interested groups to provide feedback on the draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill.

“The new Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill has been drafted to help the ACT Government improve its administrative, regulatory and enforcement tools to deliver more efficient waste management,” Shane said.

“The Bill aims to ensure waste industry operators who do the right thing are supported and encouraged to deal with waste in a way that protects the environment and maximises the recovery of resources.

“The existing Waste Minimisation Act 2001 is almost 15 years old and it is necessary to have modern, comprehensive and robust legislation for waste regulation.

“New regulations will be introduced as part of the Bill’s major changes, including the requirement of a licence for commercial waste operators and a waste activity report for licensed operators who trade in waste above a specified threshold.

“The Bill will also introduce a wider range of punishable offences, as well as stronger enforcement powers aimed at supporting the ability of agencies to manage waste activity. The intention is to support operators who do the right thing, while punishing inappropriate practices.

“New charges will apply to transporting and depositing waste. Sending waste to landfill will be strongly discouraged, while recovery and reuse of resources will be rewarded. The new regulatory framework will encourage waste producers to generate less waste, sort waste on site, and send waste to its best reuse option.

“The ACT Government is committed to working closely with the community and business to implement appropriate waste management solutions. Community and commercial reference groups on waste management are also currently being established and will play a valuable role in informing the recommendations provided to government to achieve its resource recovery targets.

“To provide feedback on the draft Waste Management and Resource Recovery Bill please complete an online feedback form at timetotalk.act.gov.au. Alternatively, please email a submission to ACTWasteFeasibilityStudy@act.gov.au. Consultation closes Wednesday 23 December 2015,” Mr Rattenbury concluded.