Achieving Sustainability through Partnership with Businesses: Waste and Resource Recovery Groups - Term Paper Example

PORTFOLIO By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Who We Are Sustainability Victoria key objective is to improve Victoria’s sustainable as well as booming future through enhancing the way resources are handled and helping Victorians to overcome challenges brought about by climate change. In Victoria, increasing costs both of household and business has coerced Sustainability Victoria to emphasize on the environment. By sourcing what is required from the existing production processes as well as products, the economy of Victoria will be improved and also the natural environment will be protected. Sustainability Victoria role is enabling the households together with businesses to make sustainable decisions that can be emulated by the future generation. In view of this, Sustainability Victoria engages in planning as well as promoting an infrastructure system that is smarter and capable of delivering vital waste services across Victoria. In consideration of the fact that climate change is a global issue, Sustainability Victoria endeavors to determine the safety, success and liveability of people who will live in Victoria in the future (Sustainability Victoria, 2015). The main focus of Sustainability Victoria include: Integrated waste management, an approach to waste as well as resource efficiency infrastructure in Victoria. The approach seeks to heighten practices associated with waste minimization, improve recycling and recovery of materials and products as well as reduce litter across the state of Victoria. Resource efficiency is another focus of Sustainability Victoria, which seeks to improve energy and material efficiency as well as increase local supply of low emission energy. So as to be successful in its operation, Sustainability Victoria has partnered with other agencies such as EPA Victoria, DELWP and Resource Recovery Groups (WRRGs) to offer environmental regulation, policy advice, and programs to monitor Victoria's environment. Waste and Resource Recovery Groups As observed in the Sustainability Victoria websites, Victoria has seven WRRGs (Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group; Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group; North East Waste and Resource Recovery Group; Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group; Goulburn Valley Waste and Resource Recovery Group; Gippsland Waste and Resource Recovery Group; and Barwon South West Waste and Resource Recovery Group), which are statutory authorities of Victorian State Government established in 2014. The WRRGs main objectives include; carrying out planning for waste and resource recovery infrastructure with the intention of meeting the waste and resource recovery region future needs as well as to reduce the public health as well as environmental impacts brought about by the waste and resource recovery infrastructure (Sustainability Victoria, 2015). Another objective is ensuring that the waste and resource recovery infrastructure procurement is efficient and to integrate knowledge both local and regional into market development strategies for waste and resource recovery across Victoria. Other objectives included educating communities and business with the goal of reducing waste delivered to landfill. For WRRGs to realize their objectives, they collaborate with Sustainability Victoria, the local councils, the EPA, the Victoria community, businesses as well as industries. Besides that, the WRRGs are offered legislative responsibility for developing their Regional Waste Resource Recovery Plans with the purpose of exhibiting how their regions’ waste and resource recovery needs can be met within a decade. The Regional Waste Resource Recovery Plans are integrated and aligned with the Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan. Contact Details for Waste and Resource Recovery Groups The contact details for the seven waste and resource recovery groups are outlined below. The North East Waste and Resource Recovery Group is headquartered at Wangaratta Government Centre, and can be contacted through (03) 5722 9498 (phone) or faxed through (03) 5722 9655. Besides that, the group has online presence and more information can be attained through their website (). Grampians Central West Waste and Resource Recovery Group, which operates from 5 East Street North, and can be contacted through (03) 5333 7770 (phone), (03) 5333 7717) (fax), or online through its website (www.gcwwrrg.vic.gov.au/). Barwon South West Waste and Resource Recovery Group is based in 117 Brown Street, Hamilton, and contacts can be made through (03) 5571 1520 (phone), (03) 5277 9979 (fax), or online (www.bswwrrg.vic.gov.au/). Gippsland Waste and Resource Recovery Group operate from 107 Princes Highway, Trafalgar and can be contacted in a number of ways: through mail or post (PO Box 444, Trafalgar), phone call ((03) 5633-2744), fax ((03) 5633 1945), or online (www.gwrrg.vic.gov.au/). Goulburn Valley Waste and Resource Recovery Group operates from 28 Benalla Road, Shepparton and can be contacted through numerous ways; mail or post (PO Box 6919, Shepparton), phone call ((03) 5821 1300), or fax ((03) 5821). Loddon Mallee Waste and Resource Recovery Group operate from 125 High Street, Wedderburn, and can be contacted through mail or post (PO Box 144, Wedderburn), phone call ((03) 5494 3711), fax ((03) 5494 3491) or online (www.lmwrrg.vic.gov.au/). Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Group operates from Siddeley Street, Melbourne while it can be contacted through mail or post (PO Box 1326, South Melbourne), phone call ((03) 8698 9800), fax ((03) 9699 3840), or online (www.mwrrg.vic.gov.au/) (Sustainability Victoria, 2015). Waste and resource recovery Sustainability Victoria delivers planning and offers programs for waste and resource recovery with the intention of helping the Victorian annually will increase by almost double. In order to facilitate maximization of the resource recovery in the coming three decades, Sustainability Victoria identified that new infrastructure worth between $550 and 810 million is needed in Victoria. Sustainability Victoria further identified that maintaining, upgrading and expanding the present infrastructure together with the landfills needs the government to invest between $3.6 and $5 billion. All this can be achieved within three decades if the state infrastructure plan in addition to several priority solutions and actions are developed. Executing them collectively will ensure Victoria gets unmatched integrated system for waste and resource recovery capable of successfully managing the expected waste mix and volumes as well as reducing valuable materials from Victoria normally disposed to the landfill. Furthermore, public health and environmental impacts can be reduced, and at the same time, support feasible resource recovery industry, which can generate jobs and as well as improve Victoria economy. For this reason, Sustainability Victoria works closely with EPA, DELWP and WRRGs so that the state infrastructure plan can successfully offer a future infrastructure development roadmap, particularly in the sector of waste and resource recovery (Sustainability Victoria, 2015). Victoria's policy for waste and resource recovery can facilitate Victoria to benefit from its waste resources, while at the same time protect the Victorians health as well as the environment. By mid-2015, Sustainability Victoria had successfully realised its current strategic plan goals. They have successfully worked with other key stakeholders in supporting as well as delivering a new waste policy in material recovery, market development, waste infrastructure, waste minimization, and reducing litter. In order to realize first class integrated system for waste and resource recovery in Victoria, Sustainability Victoria identified some priorities; the state infrastructure plan that offers a roadmap for ensuring there is adequate infrastructure in Victoria for managing the mix and volumes of waste in the coming three decades. Another identified priority is the regional implementation plans, which with the help of Sustainability Victoria are developed by the WRRGs. The plans define how a region infrastructure needs in waste and resource recovery can be realised in a decade. Other priorities include Victorian Market Development Strategy for Recovered Resources, Victorian Community and Business Waste Education Strategy, Victorian Organics Resource Recovery Strategy, Waste Data Governance Framework, and Investment Facilitation Service. Reflection During the Building Development & Compliance unit, I learnt that the better management of the generated waste presents brings about both challenges as well as opportunities for Victoria. In this case, the opportunities as outlined in the Sustainability Victoria Sustainability Victoria Strategic 2012–15 Plan consists of maximizing resources’ value by reusing as well as recovering materials; reducing the environmental impacts attributed to landfill; and making sure crucial waste management services match the expectations of the. I concur with Sustainability Victoria that waste disposed in the landfills if recovered can be valuable resource that could result in economic value. As indicated in the Strategic 2012–15 Plan, recycling as well as recovering materials can bring an extra 100 dollars per ton to the economy of Victoria in contrast to discarding the materials in the landfill. I think the recovering and recycling of the waste is exceedingly valuable bearing in mind that Victoria’s whole activity of waste and recycling is worth 2.153 billion US dollars. I believe it’s the responsibility of so as to improve the existing waste infrastructure and improve waste recycling and recovery. Considering that the energy required to recycle waste materials into new products is less as compared to that needed to create similar products from virgin materials. Fig 1: Waste Life Cycle Personally, I have observed that the infrastructure in Victoria has not been able to sustain the increasing volumes of waste or current management standards anticipated by the Victorians. This is despite the fact that the preceding projects intended to improve the infrastructure. A good example as we observed during the unit is the closure of the four facilities in Melbourne, which used to produce manure from garden waste due to pitiable environmental performance brought about by the ensuing odor. As a result, recycling garden organics turned out to be very challenging. Still, there are a number of opportunities on how waste can be handled and emission associated with it reduced in Victoria as shown in the figure below: Fig 2: Reducing emissions in Melbourne As evidenced by figure three, realising zero net emissions needs significant policy, economic, and structural change in Melbourne so as to bring about energy efficiency as well as reduce sources of carbon intensive fuel. I agree that green every Victorian and espousing a forward-thinking approach right important for implementing sustainable waste systems needed to decrease the growing emissions. Fig 3: Melbourne Emissions since 2010 and Future Projections For many years, there have been a number of disruptions caused by excavators when they accidentally unearth underground infrastructure. This has consequently resulted in gas mains’ explosions, rupture of sewerage pipes and electrocution caused by underground electricity cables, and other fatal results. Therefore, I think ‘Dial before you dig’ is very important in reducing disruptions as well as damage from taking place. The figure below shows an example of a raptured sewage pipe during excavation. Fig 4: Destruction of Underground Infrastructure As discussed in the unit, I agree that the new Sustainability Action Plan will enable Victoria to move towards a sustainable future. Basically, the Plan focused on: reducing emissions as well as increasing efficiency; transforming how decisions are made and leveraging the forces in the market; and creating a city that is livable and sustainable for everyone. Thanks to Waste container distributed by Sustainability Victoria across the state, litter s no longer discarded carelessly and management of waste has become easier. Fig 5: Waste container distributed across Victoria Achieving sustainability in my view can be realised through partnership with businesses, stakeholder groups and community members across Victoria. Thanks to the Sustainability Action Plan, Victoria in my view has become the more sustainable place to live in Australia. The plan has successfully moved Victoria into becoming a society that is regenerative capable of improving biodiversity, restoring ecosystems and allowing us to become stronger and healthier. When constructing a house, I have learnt that a person must adhere to the relevant Australia’s standards and legislation. Besides that, the footings of the house must be in line with the designs as well as specifications of the engineer and sanctioned by the surveyor prior to issuing the building permit. I think for sustainability, Victoria homes and their footings should be designed as well as built to suit the condition of the soil as well as reduce footings movement, provided that the condition of the soil does not change. Energy efficiency will also define the future of Victoria; therefore, lighting through energy savers will help reduce the 16 per cent of the electrical energy utilised in the building. Besides that, insulation will be offer a successful way to of improving the home energy efficiency since they helps retain heat during the winter and release during summer. References Sustainability Victoria, 2015. Who we are. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/who-we-are/about-sustainability-victoria" http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/who-we-are/about-sustainability-victoria [Accessed 19 November 2015]. Sustainability Victoria, 2015. Contact details for Waste and Resource Recovery Groups. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/who-we-are/our-partners/waste-and-resource-recovery-groups/contact-details-for-waste-and-resource-recovery-groups" http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/who-we-are/our-partners/waste-and-resource-recovery-groups/contact-details-for-waste-and-resource-recovery-groups [Accessed 19 November 2015]. Sustainability Victoria, 2015. Waste and resource recovery. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/our-priorities/waste-and-resource-recovery" http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/our-priorities/waste-and-resource-recovery [Accessed 19 November 2015]. Sustainability Victoria, 2015. Waste and Resource Recovery Groups. [Online] Available at: HYPERLINK "http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/who-we-are/our-partners/waste-and-resource-recovery-groups" http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/who-we-are/our-partners/waste-and-resource-recovery-groups [Accessed 19 November 2015]. Read More