New NSW Protection of the Environment Operations Waste Regulations: 12 Areas of Staged Change from 1 November 2014

Category: Property Law, New South Wales (NSW), Energy, Resources & Environment
Date: 22 July 2014
Author: Hunt & Hunt - Genuine People
On 17 October 2014 the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014' was enacted, which will replace the previous Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2005 from 1 November 2014.

The 2014 Regulations will bring in a raft of significant changes to the waste industry. These regulations will be supported by the Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Amendment (Contributions) Regulation 2014' to commence on 1 August 2015. This is the first of a series which will investigate the new regulatory framework and focus on each of the following twelve key areas of change:

From 1 November 2014

  1. Proximity Principle '€“ a new offence for the transportation of waste
  2. Improved resource recovery exemptions
  3. Additional prescribed wastes for land pollution offences
  4. A new land pollution defence for unlicensed landfills
  5. Improving immobilisation of high-risk contaminants
  6. Additional operational purpose deductions
  7. Reduced licensing thresholds for waste activities

From 1 March 2015

  1. Waste tracking requirements

From 1 July' 2015

  1. Waste tyre monitoring and licensing requirements
  2. Asbestos waste monitoring requirements

From 1 August 2015

  1. Waste levy reforms
  2. Waste facility reporting requirements
The 2014 Regulations amalgamate the Sydney metropolitan area and the extended regulated area into one 'metropolitan levy area'. The rural regulated area remains the same but will be referred to as the 'rural levy area' under the 2014 Regulations. Read the full 2014 Regulations. All scheduled waste facilities are encouraged to check they are compliant with the new changes.