In 2023 PDP were engaged by the Department of Internal Affairs – National Transition Unit (DIA) to lead the technical development of the National Trade Waste Management Guidelines for the new water services delivery organisations, a key workstream of Affordable Water Reform. This project posed a unique challenge, requiring the consolidation of diverse perspectives and a historically fragmented approach to trade waste management across the country into a cohesive, nationally consistent approach, with enough flexibility for each organisation to adapt the guidance to their local objectives, context, and customers, all within a strict timeframe. Our work included coordination of a 15+ stakeholder working group of trade waste officers, and representatives from industry bodies and DIA. Bringing together the combined expertise of the working group and the PDP team, we delivered a comprehensive guideline document as a series of prompting questions alongside guidance, examples, and legislative context, integrating technical, organisational, governance, and asset management best-practice. The scope of the guidelines included:
- Development of strategic objectives;
- Transition and change management;
- Permit classification models and conditions;
- Monitoring and enforcement approaches;
- Customer feedback and satisfaction;
- Resourcing, expertise, and management;
- Trade waste controls including mass load and concentration limits; and,
- Charging principles.