Disasters don’t just destroy infrastructure – they create massive waste management challenges that can slow recovery for months.
Talis was engaged by the NSW Reconstruction Authority to develop two critical documents: A Disaster Waste and Resource Recovery Management Plan and a separate Disaster Waste Management and Response Strategy for the Northern Rivers region of NSW.
What the Project Addresses
The project identified waste management coordination and escalation processes, and provided recommendations for regulatory, policy, and legislative changes to reduce disaster and reconstruction waste. We also explored opportunities for improvement and developed options for rapidly deploying temporary emergency waste storage sites to support clean-up operations in future disasters.
The Plan
The Plan is an operational focused document, designed to assist Northern Rivers Councils with planning and decision-making before, during, and after disasters. It enables councils to respond to their communities’ disaster waste management needs more efficiently and effectively.
The Strategy
The Strategy delivers a comprehensive approach to building disaster resilience from a waste management perspective. It features best practice case studies that support improved waste reuse and recovery outcomes for disaster waste, along with short, medium, and long-term recommendations to address identified risks.
Our Approach
We engaged extensively with stakeholders throughout the project through face-to-face workshops, online meetings, and one-on-one interviews to ensure the Plan and Strategy reflected on-ground realities and needs.
Led by our NSW-based consultants Alex Upitis and Lyndell Coates, we worked collaboratively with the NSW EPA and Public Works to deliver both documents.
