The Board met on 25 June 2024 ahead of the Association’s Annual General Meeting and the ENVIRO Conference at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The Audit and Risk Committee (ARC) Chair provided an update to the full board after approving the 2023 audited financial accounts at a meeting earlier in the month. The accounts were endorsed by the full WMRR board. The accounts showed the Association to be in a strong financial position at year end. ARC also took the opportunity this year to update the Associations’ key performance indicators to better reflect WMRR’s current objectives and activities, which I am very pleased to say are going extremely well. For example, the Board was pleased to see 1,500 active member interactions in 2023 pointing to an engaged and information hungry membership. Revenue for 2023 was boosted by WMRR’s two (2) strong national conferences – Australian Landfill and Transfer Station and Energy from Waste. The WMRR Annual Report and Annual Audited Financial Report have now been published.
The Board also noted that WMRR membership reached an all-time high in June 2024 passing through 2,200 members. We are also looking forward to an expansion of the training offering later this year with landfill 101, energy from waste (EfW) and social licence to operate all being offered in the next six (6) months, so keep an eye out for those.
The Board discussed recent industry developments including the waste export rules and some of the recent changes to pellets, noting that these and fees come into effect from 1 July 2024. This led to an update on the Environment Ministers Meeting which occurred last week but was a little disappointing with a number of issues appearing to have been deferred to the December 2024 meeting. We understand that there were discussions on batteries, PFAS and packaging.
Discussions also continued with the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Industry about its organics rules which only allow up to three (3) parts per billion of PFAS in compost. WMRR joined with industry to write to the Minister for the Environment The Hon Leanne Linard MP expressing concern about the impact of the ruling and seeking an urgent meeting. The Board also highlighted the contradiction of the Queensland Government providing millions of dollars in grants to encourage FOGO collection across the state at the same as placing unrealistic requirements on the compost output created by it, which has already seen Ipswich City Council drop its FOGO service and Brisbane City Council signalling it will likely follow suit.
At the conclusion of the meeting, outgoing Board members were thanked for their support and service during their tenures - National Vice President Mark Rawson, Nominated Directors Toby Terlet and Christine Wardle, all of whom have dedicated time and energy to the WMRR Board for the last four (4) years. Justin Bonsey was also thanked for his enthusiasm and contribution as an Elected Board member during his two (2) year term.
At the Annual General Meeting immediately following the Board meeting, amongst the Year in Review update and overall status update, WMRR welcomed incumbent Director Isabel Axiö as the new National Vice President and new Board members Michelle Mandl as a Nominated Director and Katherine Dodd as an Elected Director.
Ms Axiö, a Senior Consultant at RMCG, has been a WMRR Director since 2022, while Ms Mandl, who is General Manager – Communications, Customer and Engagement at TOMRA Cleanaway, is a newcomer to the board.
Ms Dodd, General Manager and Principal Environmental Consultant at MRA Consulting, was elected after the more than 100 members cast their ballots for one (1) of three (3) candidates.
WMRR is lucky to have such an engaged and knowledgeable membership from which to draw skills, talent and experience across the breadth and depth of the entire waste and resource recovery industry.
The Board next meets on Wednesday 21 August 2024.