Local Government Waste Solutions Fund Round 3

The following organisations are eligible to lead and apply for the Local Government Waste Solutions Fund:

• local councils that pay waste levies in the regulated area. This includes the 42 councils in the metropolitan levy area (MLA) and the 19 councils in the regional levy area (RLA). The names of these councils are defined by Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation
• regional waste groups of councils in the Greater Sydney, Hunter and Illawarra regions that are supported by the EPA Regional Coordination Support Program
• voluntary regional waste groups in the RLA, supported by the EPA Regional Coordination Support Program.

The Local Government Waste Solutions Fund supports innovative waste and recycling solutions that are scalable and contribute to the priorities and targets in the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and the NSW Plastics Action Plan.

Project costs may include:

• collecting, transporting and processing costs of materials for re-use and/or diversion from landfill
• leasing or capital purchases (e.g. equipment, infrastructure)
• planning, feasibility studies, research and strategy development activities
• resourcing including consultants, contractors, project management, administration and/or implementation costs.

The fund cannot be used for:

• projects that have designated funding programs under the WaSM strategy and the NSW Plastics Action Plan
• projects that do not align with the objectives and policies of the Environment Protection Authority, WaSM strategy or the NSW Plastics Action Plan, and/or do not contribute to achieving the NSW Government’s waste priorities and targets or cannot be measured or quantified.
• financial co-contribution to other grants, including, but not limited to, contestable grants being delivered under the WaSM strategy, the NSW Plastics Action Plan and other relevant strategies
• legal advice
• collection and transportation of materials that cannot be recycled or diverted from landfill (e.g. asbestos) or the clean-up of litter or illegally dumped materials
• ongoing delivery of pre-existing local council or regional waste group programs including those previously funded by the NSW EPA Better Waste and Recycling Fund
• works that will be or have been funded by other sources. However, additional funding from other sources may be used in tandem with the Waste Solutions Fund to enhance the outcomes of the project. Eligible organisations must state in their grant application if they have secured funding for the same project through another source. The applicant must justify and maintain any relevant project and funding boundaries.

Project examples might include:

• designing out waste from the point of purchase
• supporting the sharing/re-use economy to increase the volume of materials re-used, repurposed, repaired or recycled, with improved value
• collaborating with organisations to identify circular economy opportunities on a local or regional scale and implement circular economy solutions
• trialling a service that decreases waste materials (such as glass, electronic waste, plastics, tyres, textiles) being sent to landfill while achieving social and economic outcomes for the community.