Battling Australia's Waste Crisis Through Circular Economy Initiatives with Major Transport Infrastructure Victoria
At A Glance
Australia is on the brink of a waste crisis as the world’s largest recycling markets offshore ban waste exports, and the nation's landfills approach capacity.
In an effort to combat this the Victorian Government introduced the Recycled First Policy. The policy supports the transition to a circular economy by requiring contractors involved in major transport projects to prioritise recycled and reused materials, bolstering efforts to tackle the escalating waste crisis. However driving uptake, sharing successes and connecting and aligning hundreds of disparate public sector entities and corporate operators across the state is nigh on impossible.
To help spread the vision, the team at ecologiQ partnered with Public Sector Network in 2022 and 2023 to deliver the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference. The multi-day event bought together over 2000 infrastructure, logistics and public sector professionals and served as a melting pot of ideas, where participants shared insights, forged connections, and explored cutting-edge innovations in sustainability.
Through this collaborative effort, ecologiQ found a pathway forward. Since the ecologiQ Recycled First Policy was implemented in 2020, more than 3.3 million tonnes of recycled materials have been committed across 51 transport infrastructure projects – more than enough to fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground - and that number continues to grow.
A Bit About ecologiQ
ecologiQ is the future of reusing, recycling and repurposing waste materials on road and rail infrastructure across Victoria. The aim of this Victorian Government initiative is to integrate recycled and reused content into every corner of Victoria’s $90 billion Big Build by incorporating waste products wherever possible.
ecologiQ comes at a pivotal time, given the Council of Australian Governments' move in 2020 to ban the export of waste plastic, paper, tyres and glass. The Victorian Government’s ecologiQ program was created to find this waste a new home – as construction materials for transport projects.
The ecologiQ initiative was pioneered in 2019 by Major Road Projects Victoria’s CEO, Allen Garner, who drew the crucial connection between Victoria’s transport projects and the reform of Victoria’s recycling system.
Over the years ecologiQ commenced working with and engaging with stakeholder groups at smaller forums. Looking to advance momentum, encourage collaboration and drive results faster the ecologiQ team pitched the idea of a larger event to The Hon. Jacinta Allan – Deputy Premier and, Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop and Minister for Commonwealth Games Delivery, who was happy to support the vision.
Promoting Green Together
The team behind ecologiQ developed a vision - to accelerate change by sharing innovations, celebrating best practice and hearing from changemakers about the latest green thinking and projects. A multi-day event including site tours to view how materials were being reused in place, a bustling trade hall showcasing solutions, a full-day conference agenda with experienced speakers and an event that bought government and industry together all under one roof to accelerate the shift to a greener future was seen as the best way to advance this vision.
However problems arose when it came to managing the multiple moving parts of a large scale showcase. With the event date looming the team needed to manage agendas and speakers, event logistics, exhibitors and sponsors as well as marketing, budgets and registrations. They sought help externally to ensure the showcase could be delivered seamlessly, on time, and in budget.
As both a B Corp and as Certified Members of the Professional Conference Organisers Association, Public Sector Network were selected by Major Roads Projects Victoria to help deliver their 2-day renewable, greener infrastructure conference. The work undertaken included management of every facet of the showcase from project management and pre planning services, registration management, budget and financial management, venue management, marketing and promotion, and on-site event day management.
“Public sector network were delighted to be selected by Major Road Projects Victoria to help deliver their inaugural Greener Infrastructure Conference. As a B Corporation the topics of circular economy and sustainability are really important to us.
- Ross Ashman, CEO & Co- Founder, Public Sector Network
Delivering a Vision
An event the size and scale of the ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure conference would generally see a 12 month event cycle. The 2022 event iteration was delivered in just 12 weeks from initial engagement to event day. With the reduced timeframe the teams at ecologiQ and Public Sector Network worked closely together to identify key milestones that ensured the Conference was delivered on time and within budget, and that the final event delivered met needs and expectations.
The Public Sector Network team developed a comprehensive project timeline and marketing campaign which included:
- Operations and Logistics: venue sourcing, delegate management and retention and complete budget management
- Marketing and Promotion: audience acquisition, complete collateral design, website creation and social media promotion, onsite content creation and social sharing
- Sponsorship and Expo: floorplan design, end to end event partner management, on-site activations and event-day experience
Weekly check-ins and constant communication between the teams and all stakeholders helped to ensure a smooth and seamless process.
“We’re not conference organisers, we’ve never run a conference. But it has been great to work with people who have that experience and the expertise” - Allen Garner, CEO, Major Road Projects Victoria
“We engaged with PSN after hearing some awesome things about how they work and their style. We were really impressed with what [Public Sector Network] has been able to deliver for us in a tight timeframe… The event has defied all of our expectations" - Priscilla Moca Santomartino, Communications & Stakeholder Engagement Manager, ecologiQ
The 2022 ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference was a resounding success, with 800 industry professionals uniting to tackle challenges, chart solutions and celebrate triumphs on the road to greener infrastructure. Close to 40 innovative suppliers and researchers showcased their innovations in the trade hall and the conference also featured sold-out site tours and a brimming main stage.
With dedication, clear communication, transparency and integrity the Public Sector Network team delivered exceptional outcomes for ecologiQ and Major Road Projects Victoria. By nurturing and growing this vital relationship with care and innovation a partnership built on mutual success has been created. The team at ecologiQ, the team at Major Road Projects Victoria and the team at Public Sector Network will collaborate again to deliver an even bigger three-day ecologiQ Greener Infrastructure Conference in 2023.
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