Strategic framework

• The Metropolitan Planning Strategy
• Getting full value - Victoria's waste and resource recovery policy
• The Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan
• The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan

Strategies that guide our work

Melbourne's population is growing and so is its waste - over 10 million tonnes were thrown out by Victorians in 2009-10. Legislation, policies and commitments of the Federal and Victorian governments provide the framework for the activities of MWMG and the delivery of effective waste management and resource recovery for metropolitan Melbourne.

Future urban planning needs to consider not only issues such as population growth and housing capacity, but also the requirement for waste management infrastructure to service demands of a growing population.

The Metropolitan Planning Strategy is currently being developed by the Victorian Government. Land use planning plays a critical role in ensuring Victoria has the right waste and resource recovery infrastructure in the right places, it also ensures that this infrastructure has minimal impacts on the environment and surrounding land users. More information about the Metropolitan Planning Strategy is available here.

The National Waste Policy was developed by the Environment Protection and Heritage Council to summarise the roles and responsibilities of governments and the actions to be undertaken at a national level.

Getting full value – Victoria’s waste and resource recovery policy

'Getting full value: the Victorian Waste and Resource Recovery Policy' sets a 30 year vision for waste and resource recovery in Victoria with policy priorities that will guide actions over the next ten years.
The policy is a component of the Victorian Government’s economic and environmental strategies, as set out in Securing Victoria’s Economy: Planning, Building, Delivering and Environmental Partnerships. The policy aims to drive future economic productivity for the state through the growth and improvement of waste management and resource recovery industries. Concurrently, it will resolve some of the challenging environmental and public health problems posed by waste in Victoria.

To learn more about the Waste Policy Review visit the Department of Environment and Primary Industries Website.

The Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan

The Victorian Government led by Sustainability Victoria is currently developing a ‘Statewide Waste and Resource Recovery Infrastructure Plan'.

As outlined in the Victorian Waste Policy, the plan will include:

• a comprehensive audit of existing infrastructure across the state, including current and future capacity, and current environmental performance
• analysis of current and projected waste volumes, mixes, and origin to destination flows, and identification of likely ‘regional waste catchments’ based on these projections. This will be informed by demographic and economic data
• assessment of the potential for, and opportunities from, co-locating new waste and resource recovery infrastructure with similar activities such as waste water treatment and other industrial precincts
• identification of residential and industrial growth land use areas
• transport considerations such as strategic freight corridors and logistics hubs
• statewide guidance on issues, risks and infrastructure gaps.

The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan

The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan (Strategic Plan) articulates the long term direction for resource recovery and waste management in metropolitan Melbourne The objectives of the Strategic Plan are to:

• provide a long term vision for the management and reduction of waste in metropolitan Melbourne
•  identify short term and long term waste infrastructure needs and schedule the development of landfill sites.

The requirement to develop a plan is outlined under the Environment Protection Act (Act). The first and current Strategic plan was released in 2009 and has provided the direction for MWMG’s business planning and key priority actions. Some of the key outcomes arising from the current plan include the development of a procurement model for waste facilities, an Organics Strategy for metropolitan Melbourne, planning amendments and education. Read more about the key outcomes here.

A review of the current plan is now being undertaken. According the Act, the review must take place within four years of the date that it takes effect. To find out more about the detail outlined in the plan and the review process click here.

Download the Executive Summary [1.19 MB] of the current Strategic Plan.

Download the full document below.

Executive Summary and Introduction [319 KB]
Part 1: The Metropolitan Plan [200 KB]
Part 2 : The Municipal Solid Waste Infrastructure Schedule [301 KB]
Part 3 : The Metropolitan Landfill Schedule [156 KB]
Appendices [487 KB]

* If you have any accessibility needs with regards to viewing these documents, alternative formats can be provided upon request.