The Hunter and Central Coast region is collaboratively working towards developing the local circular economy.
With a view to our region’s strengths and challenges, the Hunter Joint Organisation (Hunter JO) and key regional stakeholders have co-developed the Hunter and Central Coast Circular Economy Roadmap.
The Roadmap showcases successes, sets a path for the next 12 months and enables the collaboration and acceleration towards the long-term vision of being Australia’s leading regional circular economy.
This Roadmap provides an overview of the key circular economy projects already completed, projects currently happening or planned in the Hunter and Central Coast region and provides ways to connect with the project leaders. It is vital in maintaining the momentum in shifting towards this new economic model.
The Hunter is currently experiencing a time of economic evolution and the circular economy provides an opportunity for existing businesses to improve and diversify and new industries to blossom, creating new jobs in the region.
The circular economy represents a move away from our current linear system of take, make, use, waste, to systems in which materials are kept in use for as long as possible at their highest and best use.
The concept involves reusing materials or designing out waste to create more economic value while reducing the impact on the environment, including $1,860 billion direct benefit over the next 20 years, savings of 165 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and an additional 17,000 jobs by 2047-48 in the food, transport and built environment sectors alone.
Chair of the Hunter JO and Mayor of Singleton, Cr Sue Moore said that the benefits of circular economy for the future of the region’s industries presents opportunities for the Hunter and Central Coast to attract investment, industries and jobs, capitalising on the Hunter as Australia’s most dynamic regional economy.
“We support circular economy initiatives because of the pivotal role it can play in helping to evolve the region economically,” Sue said.
Chair of the Hunter JO’s Circular Economy Sub-Committee and Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Cr Kay Fraser said Local Government representatives are uniquely placed to provide strategic direction and connect stakeholders.
“We have the opportunity to break down some of the barriers preventing us from adopting a circular economy on a much larger scale,” Kay said.
“Moving to a circular economy is a collaborative effort. Local government, the Hunter JO and all levels of government need to work together as project partners to support this important shift.”
The Roadmap was advanced through the leadership of the Hunter Central Coast Circular Economy Facilitators Group, a partnership of local circular economy champions, from a broad cross section of the community. The group coordinated broader regional consultation, and with funding from NSW EPA programs, helped develop the roadmap to provide a good foundation for our journey toward a circular economy.
The Roadmap is a living document that will be kept updated through a quarterly review process developed the Circular Economy Facilitators Group. It lays out the methodology for adding, maintaining, and prioritising initiatives. The Hunter JO will be seeking further funding from the NSW Government to ensure the initial success of this Roadmap can be leveraged, improved, and maintained into the future.
IMAGE | Meeting of the Hunter Joint Oganisation.
