Industry Updates for Queensland's Waste Management and Materials Recovery Sector

Growing Queensland Business Roadshows

The Buy Queensland approach will underpin the procurement strategy for Brisbane 2032. This will ensure as many Queensland businesses as possible are part of the significant supply chain associated with the Games. To encourage businesses to get supply ready, the Growing Business Roadshow visited 12 locations in the last month?including Gold Coast, Mackay, Morayfield, Ipswich, Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Logan, Bundaberg, Brisbane and Sunshine Coast. Register for Buy Queensland supplier updates to find out?how?your business can be involved in the Games.?

?Webinar – Australian Industrial Relations Reforms

The Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Secure Jobs, Better Pay) Bill 2022 (‘Bill’) has now passed both Houses and is awaiting Royal Assent.?Join?a free webinar to hear details on Industrial Relations reforms from CCIQ’s Workplace Services team plus learn how CCIQ can support you and your businesses in navigating these changes. The webinar is on Monday December 12, from 10.30am.?Register here.

?Consultations

Queensland Department of Environment and Science - Review of Major and Minor Amendments

During public consultation on the Environmental Protection and Other Legislation Amendment (EPOLA) Bill 2022, the Department of Environment and Science (the department) committed to review the non-statutory guideline Major and minor amendments (ESR/2015/1684) to provide further rigour and certainty around assessment level decisions for environmental authority amendment processes.?To inform this review, the Department are seeking your feedback on the aspects of the guideline that you consider unclear and may be leading to inconsistencies in departmental decision-making. We also encourage you to provide examples or scenarios to support your comments.??The focus of the guideline review will be on section 3 of the guideline which talks to assessment level decisions. However, there may be other sections of the guideline that may benefit from clarification, and you are invited to provide comments on these matters for consideration as part of this, or future potential review processes.?Should you wish to provide comments on the guideline, please email your written submissions to [email protected]?by?5pm on Monday 23rd January 2023.

Critical Metals

On 21 October 2022, the Australian Government announced that it will develop a new Australian Critical Minerals Strategy to ensure it supports the Government’s priorities for the development of the critical minerals sector.?The Discussion Paper can be found on the Department of Industry, Science and Resources Consultation Hub. The paper discusses the role of critical minerals in supporting clean energy technologies and considers how Australia might capture global clean energy opportunities by expanding the critical minerals sector into downstream processing. The Department is seeking feedback from industry and community stakeholders to inform the direction of the Strategy which will be delivered in 2023.?The Strategy will outline the Government’s priorities for developing the critical minerals sector, including how Australia can create new economic opportunities, develop new sovereign capabilities and industries, build reliable competitive and diverse supply chains and support clean energy technologies.?A Media Release from Minister King on the release of the discussion paper can be found here.

Stakeholders are encouraged to provide written submissions in response to questions in the discussion paper alongside general feedback related to the Strategy or the critical minerals sector. Consultation will close on 3 February 2023 and responses can be submitted directly on the Consultation Hub page or contact the Critical Minerals Office directly at [email protected].

Call for New End of Waste Codes

The Department of Environment and Science (DES) invites submissions about whether there is any particular waste for which an End of Waste (EOW) code should be prepared under the?Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011.?Submissions are invited to ensure that resources are targeted towards the development of EOW codes for which there is strong industry demand. To make a submission, complete the?Submission for proposed end of waste code submission form?(publication number ESR/2016/3304), which is available on the department’s website

Draft End of Waste Code for Silica Fume

Please be advised that the draft end-of-waste code for Silica Fume is now available on the Queensland Department of Environment and Science website for public consultation until 12 January 2023.??Written submissions, if any, are to be provided to [email protected]. More details on how to make submissions are available on the website.

Proposed Fees for Exports

The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water is seeking feedback on proposed fees and charges for exports of waste glass, plastic, tyres, paper and cardboard. The department will start recovering the costs of administering the Waste Export Program?from 1 July 2023, when the department will charge a: (1) fee to recover costs of assessing applications for waste export licences, variations and exemption, and (2) levy to recover other costs such as maintaining the Waste Export Licensing and Declaration (WELD) portal and implementing compliance and enforcement activities. You can find the consultation paper and complete a survey and/or provide written submission at Have Your Say. Submissions close 12 December 2022.?[Announcement]

NEMP V3 for PFAS

The Heads of EPAs of Australia and New Zealand (HEPA) have released the draft per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances National Environmental Management Plan (PFAS NEMP) version 3.0 for public consultation. This version 3.0 contains important new guidance and standards, which builds on version 2.0 published in 2020.?You can use this?form?to answer questions, upload a document, or both.?Consultation closes 28 February 2023 at 4pm AEDT.?