Industry Updates for Queensland's Waste Management and Materials Recovery Sector
Waste Recycling Industry Association (QLD) inc (WRIQ)
Representing waste, resource recovery & circular economy businesses - we are essential for community & environment.
Energizing Queensland Conference 13 October
Tickets are selling quickly to next week’s Energizing Queensland Conference.?WRIQ in partnership with the Australian Institute of Energy (AIE) and the Australian Industrial Ecology Network (AIEN) will be hosting the one-day conference on Thursday 13 October 2022 at the Rydges, South Bank.
Energizing Queensland aims to build on the very successful joint WRIQ/AIEN conference held in November 2019, Energy from Waste: Opportunities for Queensland, by showcasing how energy from waste and bioenergy technologies can provide the transitional arrangements and transitional fuels to achieve a renewable and low-carbon energy future.
The audience includes sector leaders and decision makers from electricity networks, energy regulators, the resource recovery sector, energy advocates and technology providers.?Register at Register Now | Energizing Queensland (energizingqld.com.au) or https://lnkd.in/gg5_mFv3
Queensland’s Energy and Jobs Plan
Last week saw the release of the long-anticipated Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan which outlines the States pathway to a clean, reliable and affordable energy system to provide power for generations.?The Plan sets new renewable energy targets for Queensland as well as plans for new transmission network capacity and two new pumped-hydro facilities.?
Rising Energy Costs
While the entirety of the National Energy Market (NEM) is feeling the pinch, businesses in Queensland are in the firing line for higher prices. Where previously an agreement may have seen a peak rate of 8c, new averages of 20 - 25c are common. Over the past nine months, retail electricity prices have risen up to 231% for Queensland based businesses.
WRIQ’s partner, Choice Energy has further information about the pricing trends at their insights, latest Energy Market Update here.?If your company is coming out of contract soon, it will pay to shop around now and see what savings you can negotiate on your next electricity contract.?
Current Consultations: The National Soil Action Plan (2022-27)
The National Soil Action Plan 2022-2027 is a key component of Australia’s 20-year National Soil Strategy.?The Action Plan outlines initiatives and opportunities to value, manage and improve Australia’s soil and lay foundations to guide policy, investment, research and program design to achieve the vision and objectives of the Strategy. ?
You can provide your feedback on the draft Action Plan. Feedback will help ensure the Action Plan is informed, relevant, and practical to support the management of Australia’s soil health.?To have your say, read the Draft Plan and take the survey.?Consultation closes at 4pm on Monday 7 November 2022.
Draft PFAS NEMP 3.0
The draft third version of the PFAS National Environmental Management Plan (PFAS NEMP 3.0) has been published for consultation. It is located on the website of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW):?National Environmental Management Plan on PFAS | Have Your Say - Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. ?The work has been developed under Heads of EPAs Australia and New Zealand (HEPA). It provides new and additional guidance and standards, building on the PFAS NEMP 2.0 published in 2020. In summary, the changes are highlighted in a light brown/beige colour throughout the draft document. ?The main chapters that contain new guidance are:
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Members of the National Chemicals Working Group will be hosting open consultation sessions around Australia. The relevant agency in each jurisdiction will be contacting relevant stakeholders (this is Queensland Dept of Environment and Science). In addition, there will be targeted workshops with certain sectors organised by NEMP theme (e.g., Theme 3 - water & biosolids and Theme 5 - waste). These will be organised by relevant theme leads. ?The consultation period is now open and closes on 20 December 2022
Survey – Stress in Workers from the Transport Industry
The School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences at Griffith University is looking for participation from anybody working in the transport industry (all roles) as they are examining stress, health and wellbeing, and looking across all roles in the transport industry. A link to the survey ca be found here https://forms.office.com/r/NLDNmLymN0. ?The university has also put further information in a YouTube video. https://youtu.be/lzP5oe_bnxo
Energy Charter Disclosure Reports
The?Energy Charter?is a national CEO-led collaboration that supports the energy sector towards a customer-centric future.?The vision is that?together, we will deliver energy for a better Australia.?The purpose of the Energy Charter is to deliver a more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy system for all Australians in line with community’s expectations.
As part of their commitment to the Energy Charter, CEOs agree to publicly disclose how they are delivering against the Energy Charter Principles through public disclosures and engagement with customer/community councils or stakeholder forums.?Signatories assess their maturity against the Energy Charter?Maturity Model, indicating where on the maturity scale they are, where they intend to progress to, over what period and how they plan to achieve this. The Energy Charter also publishes an annual #BetterTogether disclosure which sets out how collaboration through the?#BetterTogether program?has delivered tangible outcomes for customers and communities, themes of focus for future #BetterTogether initiatives and identifies areas for continuous improvement.?2022 Disclosure Reports are now available.
Events – UQ Agri-Food Innovation Alliance
The UQ Agri-Food Innovation Alliance links research and education in agri-food science with business. Project teams of UQ researchers and industry collaborators have wide-ranging agribusiness expertise across broadacre cropping, winter chilled fruit, viticulture, sub-tropical horticulture, dairy, beef and poultry farms, and seafood. To find out more about what they do, please visit their website and latest newsletters HERE.
Workshop 3: Supporting SE QLD's Agri-Food Workforce 18 October 2022, 10am-2pm RSVP HERE
Networking event: Connecting agriculture and food industry representatives with emerging research students 23 November 2022, 4pm-6.30pm RSVP HERE
Getting Ready for Storm Season
The Bureau of Meteorology has declared a third La Nina event, increasing the likelihood of above-average rainfall during Spring and Summer.?The start of the storm season is a timely reminder to ensure your small business is protected and prepared for when storms strike. There are many resources available online to help get your small business storm ready.?
Get ready small business resources help small business operators to prepare for likely effects of a severe storm, respond to risks as they arise and what to do to recover after the storm. Helpful checklists are also available to help businesses pack emergency kits and create business evacuation plans.?To find out more on how to get your small business storm ready, visit our get prepared website
Circular economy specialist | Program manager | Facilitator | Public speaker | Collaborator | Researcher | Communicator | Student of leadership
2 年Steve Walpole