From the National Executive Officer

I once asked a very good farmer friend of mine, who ran multiple farming enterprises, why he invested so much of his time off farm sitting on industry committees and Boards. His response, which I have never forgotten, was: “If you are not part of the solution, you must be part of the problem, and I prefer to have a voice in how my industry and future will look.”

That conversation has stayed with me throughout my career, and it has never felt more relevant than it does now. As I prepare to depart AORA in the coming weeks, I would apply that same thinking to the Australian organics recycling industry.

Our sector is at a genuinely pivotal moment. The rollout of FOGO services across the country is driving growth in feedstock volumes and community expectations. At the same time, operators are working through evolving regulation around PFAS, biosolids, contaminants and End of Waste Codes, and the national conversation about the circular economy is increasingly shaping how governments view and value what we do. Decisions being made now, in policy rooms, in standards development and in funding programs, will define the operating environment for our industry for the next decade and beyond.

Those decisions will be made with or without us. The question is whether the people who actually run facilities, manage feedstocks, produce and sell recycled organics products, and understand the practical realities on the ground are in the room when it happens.

That is what AORA exists to do. The Association is only as strong, as credible and as influential as the members who stand behind it. When AORA speaks to government, regulators and industry partners, the weight of that voice comes directly from the breadth of its membership and the quality of the input members provide.

So my message is simple. Make sure you renew your AORA membership. Encourage your colleagues, suppliers, customers and competitors to become members too, because a unified industry voice is far more powerful than a fragmented one. And beyond simply joining, get involved.

Put your hand up for your state committee (nominations opening in November), contribute to consultations and submissions, take part in AORA meetings and events, and share your experience and expertise with others coming through the industry. Be an active part of the solution to the challenges we face.

AORA Annual Forum is two weeks away!

Thursday 15 October 2026 | The Lakes Golf Club Sydney

AGM 10am – 10.30am  & Forum – 10.45am – 3pm

Join AORA for a deep dive into the issues shaping our industry’s future. 

• Launch of the Industry Capacity Report 2025-26 – Nick Behrens
• DETSI PFAS in compost – our revised approach – Jackie McKeay 
• Beyond Waste Diversion: Enhancing crop nutrition and food quality with FOGO compost – Dr Nicole Robinson 
• The Window is Now – Certified Compostables, FOGO and NSW’s path to 2030 – Martine Poulain

Stay tuned….there are more to be announced! 

Can’t join us for the forum, but would like to attend the AGM online? 
Register here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/UI6gC1LoQFmQ0HeUF8f6RA

AORA FOGO Position Paper – open for consultation

This year AORA have been working to update the AORA FOGO position paper. This position paper is intended to be a widely used and referenced industry position and source of information on issues and opportunities currently facing FOGO services and processing.

The paper highlights six key challenges; 
1. Clarifying the purpose of a FOGO service
2. Bin collection frequency and contamination
3. Caddy liner use, confusion and behaviour change
4. Hazardous contaminants (batteries, vapes, glass, needles)
5. Emerging chemicals of concern (e.g. PFAS)
6. Processor investment in decontamination infrastructure.

We encourage you to provide feedback by October 30.   

The FOGO position paper is also on the agenda for the Annual Forum and we will be gathering your input on the day as well.  

When Feedstock Outpaces Facility Design: A Sector at an Inflection Point

Australia’s organics processing sector is moving through the most significant period of change in its history. State mandates are accelerating collection coverage, participation rates are climbing, and the material arriving at the gate is shifting with them, more food organics, higher moisture content, different contamination profiles than many facilities were originally designed around.

That shift rarely announces itself as failure. It shows up first as drift, a gradual widening of the gap between the conditions a processing system was designed for and the conditions it now operates under. For some facilities that’s already surfaced as odour complaints, product quality variation or rising operating costs. Regulatory expectation is moving in parallel. Enclosure configuration, air management, negative pressure control, leachate containment and biofilter sizing aren’t purely engineering choices, they’re compliance decisions, and facilities that treat them as an afterthought tend to face costlier retrofits later.

The common thread is process strategy, the underlying logic of how material moves through a facility from receival to final product. Define that logic early, and technology selection, footprint and long-term operating cost follow with fewer downstream revisions. Leave it loosely defined, and those gaps become progressively more expensive to unwind.

OREZ works across the organics processing infrastructure lifecycle, from independent process review through concept development, detailed design, and delivery. The processors best placed for what’s coming aren’t necessarily the ones with the newest infrastructure. They’re the ones willing to test their own process assumptions before feedstock, regulation or community expectation tests those assumptions instead.

Upcoming Members Meetings 

VIC – Thursday 1 October at 11.30am (AEST) 

QLD – Thursday 1 October at 2pm (AEST)

NSW – Thursday 8 October at 11.30am (AEST)

If you don’t have these in your calendar, please email us at compost@aora.org.au 
 

DETSI webinar – PFAS management for compost

Thursday 8 October | 3pm AEST

You are invited to attend a webinar hosted by the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) on PFAS management for compost. The webinar will include a discussion on DETSI’s revised approach to the management of PFAS for compost including changes to its monitoring approach, the upcoming feedstock monitoring program and the Waste Strategy.

The webinar will be held over Teams – please email us if you would like to access this.  

NSW EPA:New Organics Processing Facility Guidelines

New Organics Processing Facility Guidelines have been developed to reflect new technologies and practices.  

The guidelines outline best practice management for organics processing facilities and incorporate current EPA operational requirements and are designed to be an essential tool to minimise risks to human health and the environment while enabling a safe circular economy.

Consultation for the guidelines closes at 5pm Friday 2 October.

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