Increased competition through sale of NSW government waste assets

Waste management group SITA Environmental Solutions said the intended sale of the state-owned Waste Services NSW (WSN) promised to lift competition in the waste management sector, bringing lower costs to ratepayers.

"The sale, expected to be announced in the Mini-Budget, will help produce improved service due to increased competition and lower costs to ratepayers. Critically it should help fast-track the introduction of resource recovery and new recycling technologies in the form of advanced waste treatment facilities," said Mike Ritchie, general manager marketing and communications, SITA Environmental Solutions.

WSN currently owns strategic sites across Sydney and has held a dominant competitive position due to the fact that there are limited approved sites for waste infrastructure.

"Private sector involvement in NSW waste management will free up the NSW government from being both a provider of services and regulator of its own business (via the Environmental Protection Agency), and will result in industry world's best practice being realised at a faster rate," Ritchie said.

SITA welcomes the opportunity to discuss this initiative further with the NSW government as more information becomes available.