Western Sydney councils have met with a visiting Dutch delegation to share ideas on sustainable development, waste management and the circular economy.

The high level delegation including representatives from government and industry, as well as the Netherlands Consulate-General, are in Australia on a waste and circular economy mission as part of the Waste Business Australia Netherlands (WasteBAN) program.

WSROC President Barry Calvert says the delegation toured the Hawkesbury City Waste Management Facility on Monday and engaged in a round table discussion with senior Council representatives.

“The aim of the visit is to not only benefit both nations economically but also work together towards achieving important sustainable development goals,”  Cr Calvert said.

“WSROC shared details about our regional collaboration between councils working towards a circular economy and Hawkesbury City Council staff outlined their current waste strategy and the council’s strategy beyond 2026.”

The Netherlands are dealing with many of the same waste management challenges as Australia, Cr Calvert said.

“We both have much to gain by sharing ideas and experience,” he said.

“Its mission is to promote economic relations between the Netherlands and Australia, whether it is government-to-government, knowledge-to-knowledge or business-to-business components.

“Overall, the consulate-general team’s objective is to identify opportunities for Dutch businesses in the Australian market but also to do so in a manner that emphasises Dutch-Australian collaboration and partnerships to achieve mutual benefits.”

Joan Prummel, International Circular Economy Advisor to the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure, who was set to deliver an address to waste conference in Coffs Harbour on Thursday, said the visit aimed to promote international economy strategies and programs.

WasteBAN is a public-private partnership with Dutch waste management and circular economy companies aimed at bringing solutions from the Netherlands to Australia. 

The Netherlands aims to be 50 per cent circular by 2030.