Principal Stefan Fiedler has been featured in an article published by the Waste Management Review: 'UN urges governments to recognise waste as an essential service'.
The article details the United Nations continued urge towards global governments, in recognising waste management, including medical, household and other hazardous waste, as an “urgent and essential public service.”
Stefan Fiedler, Principal in Russell Kennedy's Waste and Resource Recovery sector, provided an in-depth overview of the history of Australian and Victorian legislation, stating that legislation was passed after the Second World War to prevent the interruption or dislocation of services that would be at the detriment of economic growth, which included electricity, gas, fuel, water, sewerage/trade waste and transport.
Stefan said "In Victoria, the Essential Services Act 1948 (Vic) (repealed) was enacted granting power to the Minister to intervene to take carriage of service delivery and employ personnel in an emergency with return of all interventions to the Parliament. Other States passed similar powers albeit on an industry sector basis,”
“At the time, and continuing today in Victoria, waste disposal remains a service provided by local government and private corporations. However, interruption and dislocation of waste services over the past two years – caused primarily by tightening international restrictions – has caused a shift in Victoria, with the state government moving to regulate waste management as an essential service under new legislation."
"Measures introduced by the Federal and state governments to date have not directly restricted the continued provision of waste services. In the event that these evolving measures may interrupt or restrict the provision of waste management services, then the states’ emergency powers may be used to issue specific directions," Stefan said.
The article proceeds with Victorian Waste Management Association Executive Officer Mark Smith addressing the implications on this for the Australian waste sector, and how 2019 Essential Services Commission review from the Victorian Government is being welcomed due to its intent to recognised waste as an essential service, through the newly released Recycle Victoria Strategy.
Stefan said “The Federal and State Government’s responses to the COVID-19 pandemic affirms the importance of recognising waste and resource recovery as an essential service that must continue for our community to function.”
Please find the Stefan Fiedler's full comments in the Waste Management Review Article, "UN urges governments to recognise waste as an essential service"