Backed by an investment of $16 million over 5 years, the joint procurement facilitation service will support councils to jointly procure waste services ensuring that ratepayers have access to value for money waste services and the move to a circular economy is supported.

This voluntary service delivers on a NSW Government commitment under the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy Stage 1 Plan: 2021-27.

Councils will be able to access a comprehensive suite of services including:

• Market data and analytics to equip councils with high-quality and timely market data and analysis to make informed and robust procurement decisions, starting with the release of regular market bulletins.

• Funded support to help councils access advice and assistance when exploring and undertaking the joint procurement of waste services. Up to $500,000 worth of advice and assistance is available per project across 2 streams of funding.

• A panel of experts to advise councils on waste procurement.

• A library of training and guidance materials, accessible on demand, to equip council and regional organisation staff with the skills they need to navigate procurement challenges. A series of case studies to demonstrate examples of waste service joint procurement projects focusing on planning, governance, challenges, lessons learnt and benefits. 

We will provide tailored assistance to local councils and regional waste groups, and create opportunities for groups of councils to collaborate.

For more information, email joint.procurement@epa.nsw.gov.au

Workshops for local government

The EPA has partnered with Impact Environmental to run a series of 9 free professional development workshops for local government employees and regional waste coordinators to gain valuable knowledge and skills to help navigate waste services procurement to help deliver better value for councils, residents, and the environment.

The workshops will focus on the procurement processes for waste collection and infrastructure, including recycling processing, disposal, and FOGO management. Each half-day workshop will showcase relatable case studies, discuss joint procurement and offer opportunities for detailed Q&A and discussion. Workshops are also being considered for Tamworth, Griffith, Canberra, North Sydney, South Sydney and Coffs Harbour.

Register your interest via Waste 2024