Maritime Union of Australia. (2025). Response to the review of the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020 [Submission to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water]
The MUA contributed to the Commonwealth’s review of the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020, because it is the central legislative mechanism through which the government advances its circular economy and resource recovery objectives.
The union highlights that Australia’s offshore oil and gas decommissioning program is fixed, and measurable, despite this, the Act does not clearly apply to the large‑scale industrial waste this program will generate.
We recommend the Act considers and explicitly captures offshore decommissioning materials. Also, it requires titleholders to take responsibility for waste tracking and management, and support nationally consistent recycling and disposal pathways so this known waste stream is managed in line with the Act’s purpose.
More than a year after consultation closed, the review remains unresolved, with no publicly released findings or implementation timetable.