The process for initiating National and State recycled organics directorates.

In 1999, Environment Australia commissioned a national "Organics Market Development Strategy" report. A draft has been circulated, and the final report is currently before the Federal Environment Minister. This report, developed through industry consultation, recommended establishment of National Recycled Organics Directorate (NROD) and State Recycled Organics Directorates (SROD). With the NROD, consisting of representatives from each of the SROD’s, providing a clear voice and direction for the industry.

The November 1999 Recycled Organics. Participants in four of the five "priorities for the industry" workshops on the final day identified the need for a coordinated national approach by the RO industry as action outcomes of the conference. The need for a national approach for the RO industry was raised throughout the conference to facilitate:

A paradigm shift from waste management to resource management,

A clear identity and lobby for the RO industry

An industry focus on the manufacture of "products" (again, de-emphasise "waste")

Communication and information sharing

Coordination and planning

The development and adoption of national standards / guidelines / terminology / product definitions

A strategic, coordinated approach to research and development

Conference participants also identified the diversity of regional circumstance, and clearly expressed the need for regional implementation. The Recycled Organics industry spans across sectors, any national approach must respect the diversity of stakeholders within the industry.

The working group at the conference proposed the following process for initiating the development of the National NROD.

identify provisional champions in each state who are prepared to take responsibility for initiating ROD in our respective states (achieved at conference, see section 7.0 below),

identify provisional champions in SA, ACT and NT from stakeholder consultation participants lists from these states/territories (CORE – Centre for Organic Resource Enterprises),

distil clear NROD/SROD discussion paper and proposal from current Environment Australia reports, and from Recycled Organics conference outcomes (GTU – Green Waste Technology Unit),

make Environment Australia reports available on the Internet (GTU),

establish web based discussion group for communication between provisional state champions to clarify existing proposal, and to develop a coherent discussion paper proposal and proposal for state based distribution as a public draft (GTU/CORE in consultation),

provisional champions to:

distribute discussion paper and engage their state based stakeholder groups,

to develop objectives and needs for the purpose of refining the ROD structure to incorporate regional needs into a national approach,

convene an inaugural NROD development forum in Sydney in June 1999 (in association with the National Recycled Organics Technology Expo) to incorporate feedback from each state and territory into a formal proposal,

return this proposal to each state and territory for ratification

upon ratification, that this proposal be put to Environment Australia for funding to support NROD/SROD establishment

The final proposal should ideally be representative of all states and territories.

The final proposal must identify:

GTU has followed up on conference commitments and:

Support for this process is welcomed. Enquires, please contact:
Angus Campbell, Green Waste Technology Unit (GTU). Email: <waste.ed@unsw.edu.au>.

The following stakeholders raised their hand to initiate the ROD development in their respective State / Territory.

Harrie Hofstede Centre for organic waste management: Murdoch University

<hofstede@central.murdoch.edu.au>

John McPhee Dept of Primary industries and Fishery <ph 03 6421 7674>

Tim Kempton Environmental Resource Management <kempton@ozemail.com.au>

Lynn Whitfield Environment Protection Agency <lynn.whitfield@env.qld.gov.au>

Shilo Morgan Brisbane water / Brisbane City Council <pe7@brisbane.qld.gov.au>

Trish McGee: EcoRecycle Victoria <tmcgee@ecorecycle.vic.gov.au>)

Chris Rochfort CORE, COMMPOST NSW <rochfort@bigpond.com.au>

Angus Johnston MacArthur Waste Board <a.johnston@macwaste.org.au>

Angus Campbell UNSW Green Waste Technology Unit, COMMPOST NSW

<waste.ed@unsw.edu.au>

None confirmed as yet