Western Sydney councils met with a visiting Dutch team to share ideas on sustainable development, waste management and the circular economy.
As part of the Waste Business Australia Netherlands (WasteBAN) project, high-level representatives from government and industry, including the Netherlands Consul-General, are working on waste and the circular economy in Australia.
WSROC chairman Barry Calvert said the delegation visited the Hawkesbury City Waste Management Facility on Monday and held a roundtable discussion with senior council representatives.
„The purpose of this visit is not only to benefit both countries economically, but also to work together to achieve important sustainable development goals,” Cr Calvert said.
„WSROC shared details of our regional collaboration between councils working towards a circular economy and Hawkesbury City Council staff outlined their current waste strategy and the council’s strategy beyond 2026.”
The Netherlands was dealing with many of the same waste management challenges as Australia, Cr Calvert said.
„We both gain a lot by sharing ideas and experiences,” he said.
Its aim is to promote economic relations between the Netherlands and Australia, whether it is government-to-government, knowledge-to-knowledge or business-to-business components.
„Overall, the Consul-General’s mission is to identify opportunities for Dutch businesses in the Australian market, but to do so in a way that emphasizes Dutch-Australian cooperation and partnerships to achieve mutual benefit.”
Joan Brummell, international circular economy adviser to the Dutch Infrastructure Ministry, who was due to address a waste conference in Coffs Harbor on Thursday, said the visit was aimed at promoting international economic strategies and plans.
WasteBAN is a public-private partnership with Dutch waste management and circular economy organizations aimed at bringing solutions from the Netherlands to Australia.
The Netherlands aims to be 50 percent circular by 2030.
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