Waste licensing
Waste and resource recovery facilities require licensing in NSW, where there is potential risk to the environment from their operations. Schedule 1 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 sets out the activities, including waste and resource recovery activities, that require licensing.
Activities listed in the Schedule can either be premises-based or non-premises-based, such as activities that are carried out by mobile plants and the transport of waste.
The Schedule also lists threshold limits under each category, which identify the volume of the waste being stored, processed or received over a certain time frame that would determine whether a licence is required or not.
Changes to waste licensing
Regulatory requirements making it easier to determine when a licence is required for a waste or resource recovery operation in NSW commenced on 28 April 2008. These amendments were made under the Protection of the Environment Operations Amendment (Scheduled Activities and Waste) Regulation 2008, following significant consultation with industry and the broader community in 2007.
Revised waste licensing categories
Waste disposal (application to land)
Waste disposal (thermal treatment)
Waste processing
Waste storage
New resource recovery licensing categories
Resource Recovery
Energy Recovery
How do I know if I need a licence?
To establish whether you need a licence, visit the Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) licensing webpages.
If I currently hold a licence for an activity that has either changed category or no longer needs to be licensed, what do I do?
If you hold a licence for an activity that you believe is no longer required to be licensed, you may contact OEH to discuss the surrender of that licence.
If you hold an existing licence for an activity that has been replaced by another licensing category under the new schedule, your current licence and associated conditions will continue to apply. OEH may replace your licence with a new licence at any time, although it is more likely that your current licence will be replaced when it is reviewed.
If you have a pending licence application, the new licence categories will be applied to the application.
Further information
If you require more information on licensing requirements, please contact OEH's Waste Operations on (02) 9995 5000.
Page last updated: 27 April 2011
