Environment
Hazardous Waste
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal
Australia ratified the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal on 5 February 1992. The Convention came into force on 5 May 1992. Over 160 countries are party to the Basel Convention.
The main aims of the Basel Convention are to encourage environmentally sound management of hazardous waste, to regulate international trade in hazardous waste and to reduce the generation of hazardous wastes. The Convention’s Secretariat is based in Geneva.
Australia also ratified the Convention to Ban the Importation into Forum Island Countries of Hazardous Wastes and Radioactive Wastes and to Control the Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within the South Pacific Region (the "Waigani Convention") on 17 August 1998. The Waigani Convention entered into force in October 2001. Under this agreement, hazardous wastes may be imported from South Pacific Island countries to Australia for safe treatment and disposal.
Legislation
Australia gives effect to its obligations under the Basel Convention in the Hazardous Waste (Regulations of Exports and Imports) Act 1989, which was amended in 1996 to ensure that it complied fully with the provisions of the Basel Convention.
Under the amended Hazardous Waste Act, exporting hazardous waste without a permit is an offence subject to a fine of up to $1 million or imprisonment for up to five years. The Minister for the Environment and Heritage can only grant a permit to export hazardous waste where it can be shown that the wastes will be managed in an environmentally sound manner in the country of import. No export permits have been granted for the export of hazardous waste to any developing country since the amendments to the Hazardous Waste Act came into force in December 1996. The Hazardous Waste Act is administered by the Department of the Environment and Heritage.
The import of hazardous waste to Australia from South Pacific Island Countries is allowed under the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) (Waigani Convention) Regulations 1999. From 2003, hazardous wastes may be imported to Australia from East Timor under the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) (Imports from East Timor) Regulations 2003. These regulations do not apply to radioactive wastes.
Websites
- Secretariat of the Basel Convention - United Nations Environment Programme
- Hazardous Waste Act Australia Home Page
Contact
Environment Strategies Section
Environment Branch
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
John McEwan Crescent
Barton ACT 0221
Phone: + 61 2 6261 2647
Fax: + 61 2 6112 2647