Draft Guideline: Better Practice Composting

Overview

Overview

The Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (the department) is producing a series of industry specific guidelines to provide external stakeholders further information on how the department carries out its regulatory functions under Part V Division 3 of the Environmental Protection Act 1986.

The draft Guideline: Better practice composting is the first guideline developed in this series.  The guideline was developed by the department in collaboration with the Western Australian branch of the Australian Organics Recycling Association (AORA WA).  Members of AORA WA formed a working group with the department, helping:

• Develop the guideline framework;
• Provide feedback from an industry perspective; and
• Develop approaches to manage economically viable operations while protecting and mitigating possible environmental impacts.   

The department acknowledges and thanks AORA WA and its members for the significant resources they have contributed to working with the department on this project.    We hope that in working together, the guideline will help to achieve a positive outcome for the environment, industry and all other stakeholders.

The guideline sets out the department’s information requirements for the composting industry and how regulation under Part V of the EP Act will achieve the objectives of the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 (Waste Strategy 2030).

Objective 3 of Waste Strategy 2030 seeks that ‘Western Australians protect the environment by managing waste responsibly’ and includes the target of all waste facilities operating to ‘better practice’ by 2030. 

The guideline provides environmental performance objectives and minimum standards for the construction and operations of composting facilities that establish how composting facilities can achieve the Waste Strategy 2030 target of operating to ‘better practice’.

Guideline for consultation

We are seeking your feedback on the content of the draft Guideline: Better practice composting.  Additional information is available in the Frequently asked questions.

Consultation duration

The consultation period will run from 25 May 2020 to 25 November 2020 (6 months).

All submissions must be received by 5pm (WST) on 25 November 2020

Information session

Update Friday, 6 November 2020.

A public information session on the guideline is now proposed to take place on Thursday, 12 November 2020, 1:00 to 2:30 pm.

The information session will be presented via Microsoft Teams. Event registration can be made via https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/public-information-session-draft-guideline-better-practice-composting-tickets-128097325549.

A copy of the PowerPoint presentation is available here:

 How to make a submission

We would prefer you to make a submission through this online site, however, you can also send submissions to betterregulatorypractice@dwer.wa.gov.au or via:

Better Regulatory Practice

Department of Water and Environmental Regulation

Locked Bag 10

Joondalup DC, WA, 6919

What happens next

Following the completion of the public consultation period, the department will:

• Review and summarise comments received into a consultation register and consultation summary report.
• Revise and incorporate relevant feedback, where appropriate.
• Publish the final Guideline: Better practice composting onto the department’s website along with the consultation summary.