Beyond the Lab - Activating the Circular Economy in Australia

The transition to a more circular economy has truely moved beyond the lab in Australia. 

During this event we will explore a few examples of how governments, industry, not-for-profits and academia are collaborating to contextualise international best practices and turn concepts into action.

This event will focus on circularity in Oceania and specifically, Australia. It will build on from the previous year's WCEF event to showcase activities and projects that are beyond the lab. In this panel session, examples and case studies across government and academia will be presented to showcase how the circular economy has been mobilised in the Australian context, and what key the challenges and opportunities are arising from collaborative solutions.

Facilitator: Professor Usha Iyer-Raniga - RMIT University

Professor Usha Iyer-Raniga is at the School of Property and Construction Management at RMIT University. Usha is co-leading the One Planet Network’s Sustainable Buildings and Construction Programme (SBC), United Nations 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (UN 10FYP SCP) aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 12, as well as the newly formed Integrated Platform for Circular Economy, Climate Resilience, and Energy.  

Speaker 1: George Osborne - Hume City Council

Presentation Title: Towards Hume as a Circular City

The City of Hume is a large peri-urban municipality in Melbourne, Australia with 115,000 jobs in 15,000 business. The Towards Hume as a Circular City project aims to drive new job creation and improve economic growth by attracting smart Circular Economy businesses, improving business efficiency, reducing waste and establishing a stronger recycling system. George serves as Manager of Economic Development at Hume City Council, and is the driving force behind this innovative project.

Speaker 2: Dr Robert Crocker - University of South Australia

Title: The Challenge of Implementation: Designing a Circular Economy for Regional South Australia

While there has been some recent policy interest in the circular economy across Australia, this has rarely attended to its potential value in regional development. During this presentation Dr. Crocker summarises a recent report on this issue, and the recommended targets identified. Dr. Crocker served as the lead researcher of this project.

Speaker 3: Debbie O'Byrne - Lake Macquarie Council

Presentation Title: Insights from Contextualising the Circle City Scan Tool

Lake Macquarie City Council was the first in Australia to introduce a stand-alone circular economy role. Under Debbie's leadership as Circular Economy Lead, the Council has developed one of Australia's first circular economy policies, started upskilling council staff, launched infrastructure-related projects and gathered data to support the circular transition. During this presentation, Debbie shares key insights learnt from contextualising the Circle City Scan Tool for Lake Macquarie.