New direction for waste management board

The WA Waste Management Board has undergone an extensive overhaul, with a new chair and four new members appointed to implement a new business plan.

Environment Minister Mark McGowan today said former Environmental Protection Agency chief executive Barry Carbon AO had been appointed as the new chairperson, adding that Mr Carbon would bring a wealth of experience to the board.

"Mr Carbon has held chief executive and senior roles in environmental advisory and regulatory agencies in both Australia and New Zealand," Mr McGowan said.

The Minister said each of the four new members would bring considerable skills and experience to the board, including expertise in economic policy (Anne Nolan), legal skills (Fleur Newman), business experience (Geoff Richards) and industry knowledge (Graeme Slessar). Ms Carolyn Jakobsen and Mayor Paddi Creevey had been reappointed to the board.

"The board plays a very important role advising the Government on matters of strategic waste management policy and I look forward to working with the new members to achieve significant improvements in recycling and waste avoidance," Mr McGowan said.

The Minister said the revised make-up of the board would be invaluable at a time when significant steps were being taken to improve recycling in Western Australia.

"The draft Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Bill we unveiled last month will allow us to make major improvements to the way waste and resources are managed in this State," he said.

"We also recently increased the landfill levy and the funds raised through this will be more effectively applied to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and increase the State's recycling rate."

Mr McGowan said one of the first tasks for the board would be to provide advice on how to significantly reduce the State's reliance on landfill.

The Waste Management Board was set up in January 2002 to provide a leadership role for waste management in WA and advice to the Minister about strategic waste management policy issues.

The board's new business plan focuses on lifting WA's recycling rate from one of the lowest in the nation through a range of innovative programs and policy solutions funded by the landfill levy.