EACH type of exported waste from Australia is governed, says a spokesperson for the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
Responding to questions from this newspaper about the requirements that individuals would have to meet if they intended to import waste from Australia to Fiji, the spokesperson explained current Australian laws specified household waste as being considered hazardous if they were to be exported.
“Under the Hazardous Waste Act, ‘household waste’ is expressly included in the definition of hazardous waste without any distinction between sorted and unsorted household waste,” the spokesperson said.
“Some sorted, non-hazardous waste (such as certain glass, plastics, tyres and paper or cardboard) are regulated under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 and may only be exported under a license and after being appropriately processed.
“Each type of waste is governed by its own set of rules including processing requirements prior to export and intended use at the destination country.
“Whether a waste can be exported is determined by reference to the relevant legislative framework.”
Sections 33 to 35 of Australia’s Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 outline the specific requirements that each applicant must meet before attaining a licence.
Section 34(2), however, states the minister in deciding whether to grant an export licence application must take into consideration a few matters including whether the applicant is a fit and proper person, whether all relevant Commonwealth liabilities of the applicant have been paid, whether the non–payment is due to exceptional circumstances if one or more relevant Commonwealth liabilities of the applicant have not been paid and whether the applicant is and is likely to continue to be, able to comply with the conditions of the export licence.
Earlier this week, the Australian Government confirmed it has yet to receive any formal application from The Next Generation Fiji or Australian businessmen Robert Cromb and Ian Malouf who are developers of a proposed Vuda waste to energy power plant.
