Division 2—Administration of container deposit scheme 136
76 Functions of the Head, Recycling Victoria—container deposit scheme 136
77 Powers of the Head, Recycling Victoria 137
78 Delegation 137
Division 3—Scheme Coordinator 137
79 Functions of Scheme Coordinator 137
80 Scheme Coordinator agreement 138
81 Content of Scheme Coordinator agreement 139
82 Appointment of Scheme Coordinator 143
83 Ministerial directions to Scheme Coordinator 145
84 Head, Recycling Victoria may give directions to Scheme Coordinator 145
85 Directions to Scheme Coordinator must be published 145
86 Scheme Coordinator must comply with direction 146
87 Annual assessment report 146
Division 4—Network operators 147
88 Functions of network operators 147
89 Network operator agreements 147
90 Content of network operator agreements 148
91 Appointment of network operators 150
92 Ministerial directions to network operators 152
93 Head, Recycling Victoria may give directions to network operators 153
94 Directions to network operators must be published 153
95 Network operator must comply with direction 154
96 Network arrangement payments 154
97 Payments to collection point operators 154
Division 5—First suppliers 155
98 Determination of first supplier 155
Division 6—Approval of suitable eligible containers 156
99 Application for approval as suitable eligible container 156
Division 7—Disposal of suitable eligible containers 157
100 Offence to dispose of suitable eligible containers at landfill site 157
101 Landfill disposal exemptions 158
102 Person must notify the Head, Recycling Victoria if unable to comply with exemption 159
Division 8—Container deposit scheme protocols 160
103 Material recovery facilities protocol 160
104 Local government refund sharing protocol 161
Division 9—Refund markings 162
105 Offence not to have refund markings on suitable eligible containers 162
Division 10—Enforcement and offences 162
106 Offence to refuse delivery of or refund for container 162
107 Delivery to an automated collection point 164
108 Refund declarations and proof of identity 164
109 Offence to claim refund for containers not subject to container deposit scheme 165
110 Offence to supply beverage without supply arrangement with Scheme Coordinator and container approval 167
111 Enforcement of Scheme Coordinator agreements and network operator agreements 168
Division 11—Miscellaneous 168
112 Guidelines 168
113 Competition and Consumer Act and Competition Code 169
Part 7—Enforcement 170
Division 1—General offences 170
114 Offence to fail to keep records and information 170
115 Offence to give false or misleading information 170
116 Offence to conceal information 171
Division 2—Information gathering notices 172
117 Head, Recycling Victoria may serve information gathering notice 172
118 Form of information gathering notice 173
119 Extension of time under information gathering notice 173
120 Court orders 173
Division 3—Show cause notices 174
121 Show cause notices 174
122 Representations about show cause notice 175
123 Ending show cause process without further action 175
124 Further action after show cause process 175
Division 4—Improvement notices 176
125 Improvement notice 176
126 Offence to fail to comply with improvement notice 177
Division 5—Prohibition notices 178
127 Prohibition notice 178
128 Offence to fail to comply with prohibition notice 179
Division 6—Court orders 180
129 Court orders 180
Division 7—Enforceable undertakings 181
130 Head, Recycling Victoria may accept enforceable undertaking 181
131 Enforcement 181
132 No criminal proceedings while enforceable undertaking in effect 182
133 Proceedings following withdrawal of enforceable undertaking 183
134 No further proceedings if enforceable undertaking is complied with 183
135 Contempt of court 183
Division 8—Adverse publicity orders 184
136 Adverse publicity order 184
Division 9—Civil penalties 185
137 Civil penalties 185
138 Civil penalty order 185
139 Proceeding for civil penalty order after criminal proceeding 190
140 Criminal proceeding during proceeding for civil penalty order 190
141 Criminal proceeding after proceeding for civil penalty order 191
142 Evidence admitted during proceeding for civil penalty order 191
143 Conduct contravening more than one civil penalty provision 191
144 Multiple contraventions of civil penalty provisions 192
145 Multiple proceedings for civil penalty order to be heard together 192
146 Jurisdictional limit of Magistrates' Court does not apply to civil penalty order 192
147 Recovery of pecuniary penalty 192
Division 9A—Monetary benefit orders 193
147A Monetary benefit order 193
147B Head, Recycling Victoria may issue protocol for determining monetary benefit 194
Division 10—Infringement notices 195
148 Power to issue infringement notice 195
Division 11—Authorised officers 195
149 Appointment by Head, Recycling Victoria of authorised officers 195
150 Identification of authorised officers 196
151 Directions in respect of authorised officers 197
152 Authorised officer may request name and address 197
153 Authorised officer may give directions 198
154 Other authorised officers may assist 198
155 Offence to obstruct authorised officer 199
156 Offence to assault or threaten authorised officer 199
157 Offence to impersonate 200
Division 12—Powers of entry and inspection 200
158 Authorised officer may enter and inspect any place or premises 200
159 Announcement on entry 201
160 Persons assisting authorised officer 202
161 Powers on entry 202
162 Authorised officer may require production of documents 204
163 Authorised officer may require information or answers 205
164 Report to be given about entry and inspection of place or premises 205
Division 13—Search warrants 206
165 Authorised officer may apply for search warrant 206
166 Issue of warrant 206
167 What may a search warrant authorise? 207
168 Announcement before entry with warrant 208
169 Copy of warrant to be given to occupier 208
Division 14—Return and forfeiture of seized things 209
170 Return of seized things 209
171 Forfeiture of seized things 210
Division 15—Audits 210
172 Appointment of auditors 210
173 Functions of an auditor 211
Division 16—Miscellaneous 211
174 Persons who may prosecute 211
175 Written statement of authorised officers to be evidence 212
176 Conduct of employee, agent or officer taken to be conduct of body corporate 212
177 Criminal liability of officers of bodies corporate—accessorial liability 212
Part 8—General 216
Division 1—VCAT review 216
178 Which decisions are reviewable 216
179 Reviews by VCAT 220
Division 2—Supplementary provisions 221
180 Power of Minister to delegate 221
181 Minister may issue guidelines 222
182 Review of operation of Act 223
183 Regulations 223
Part 9—Savings and Transitional Provisions 226
Division 1—General 226
184 Definitions 226
185 Application of Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 227
186 Abolition of WRR Groups 227
187 Transfer of executive officers and Chief Executive Officer of WRR Group 228
188 Transfer of WRR Group staff 229
189 Superseded references 230
190 Declared regions 230
191A Transitional provisions—Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Act 2023 231
Division 2—Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Act 2023 231
191B Validation of Scheme Coordinator agreement 231
191C Validation of network operator agreements 232
Schedule 1—Subject matter for Regulations 235
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Endnotes 246
1 General information 246
2 Table of Amendments 248
3 Explanatory details 250
Version No.013
Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021
No. 55 of 2021
Version incorporating amendments as at
The Parliament of Victoria enacts:
Part 1—Preliminary
Division 1—Purposes and commencement
1 Purposes
The purposes of this Act are—
(a) to introduce a circular economy in Victoria that maximises the continued use of products and waste material over their life cycle and accounts for their environmental impacts; and
(b) to provide for the Head, Recycling Victoria; and
S. 1(ba) inserted by No. 36/2022 s. 3(a).
(ba) to provide for a Victorian Recycling Infrastructure Plan; and
S. 1(c) amended by No. 9/2022 s. 23(a).
(c) to require councils and Alpine Resorts Victoria to provide municipal residual waste and municipal recycling services; and
S. 1(d) amended by No. 9/2022 s. 23(b).
(d) to support best practice procurement and contract management of waste and recycling services by councils and Alpine Resorts Victoria, and facilitate strategic procurement for councils and Alpine Resorts Victoria; and
(e) to provide for service standards; and
S. 1(ea) inserted by No. 36/2022 s. 3(b).
(ea) to provide for a waste to energy scheme; and
(f) to establish a container deposit scheme; and
(g) to provide for data collection and reporting; and
(h) to provide for a system of criminal and civil penalties and other enforcement measures; and
(i) to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts.
Division Div 6 - Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021 - Miscellaneous 131 | Zoe