Guideline to the Waste Management Plan - Department of Housing ...

Guideline to Waste Management Plan 2012-2014 Page 3 of 16
1 Purpose of Guideline
This guideline provides background and explanatory information to the Department of
Housing and Public Works Waste Management Plan 2012-2014.
2 Aim of the Waste Management Plan
The department’s Waste Management Plan aims to:
• foster a culture that recognises ‘waste’ as a resource and recognises the importance
of resource recovery either by avoidance, reduction, reuse, or recycling of unwanted
or surplus materials and products;
• foster a consistent philosophy and approach across the diverse service areas of the
Department of Housing and Public Works; and
• comply with Queensland legislation and government policy (as outlined below).
3 Legislative Basis for Waste Management
The Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (the Act), which received Royal Assent on
28 October 2011, imposed a requirement on each Queensland government department to
develop a new waste reduction and recycling plan and to report on waste management
achievements under the plan.
Previously, the obligation on a department to develop and implement a waste management
plan was embedded in Sections 35 to 40 of the Environmental Protection (Waste
Management) Policy 2000 (the Policy), which was subordinate legislation to the
Environmental Protection Act 1994. The Policy was repealed when the new Act was
introduced.
However, due to major proposed amendments to the Act and to Queensland’s Waste
Reduction and Recycling Strategy 2010-2020 which supports it, the deadline for the
development of a new waste reduction and recycling plan (originally intended to be 1
December 2012) has been deferred until 1 July 2014 and the new reporting requirements
deferred until August 2015.
In the interim, transitional arrangements are in place whereby the requirements for the
development of a waste plan and for reporting on waste management under the previous
Policy remain in place until 30 June 2014.
4 Principles of Waste Management
The waste management hierarchy outlines waste management practices to achieve the
best environmental outcome, listed in the preferred order of adoption:
• waste avoidance - practices which prevent the generation of waste altogether
• waste reduction - practices which reduce waste produced
• waste segregation – separation of wastes making them useable or less difficult to
dispose of
• waste reuse - direct reuse of waste materials for the same grade of use
Technical Services April 2013