A proposal for a glass and mixed recycling collective in eastern Victoria has received interim authorisation from the national competition regulator.
A draft determination authorising the Gippsland Waste and Resource Recovery Group (GWRRG) and six Gippsland councils to jointly tender, procure and manage glass and mixed recycling processing services was published by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) last week.
Waste service suppliers will be able to tender to supply each council and/or group of councils.
The councils are likely to sign individual contracts with the successful tenderer/s but they may also engage in joint management activities in relation to the contracts with the waste service supplier(s).
The six councils include Bass Coast Shire Council, Baw Baw Shire Council, East Gippsland Shire Council, Latrobe City Council, South Gippsland Shire Council, and Wellington Shire Council.
In making its determination, the ACCC said the collective was likely to provide:
- greater long-term certainty for councils and potential waste service suppliers;
- increased competition for service contracts with more joint tender participants than would be the case if councils sought tenders individually;
- and transaction cost savings.