On Wednesday 11 June, environmental, sustainability, and waste education officers from across the region gathered at the Cessnock Waste Management Centre for a productive and sun-filled day of collaboration.

The day saw strong attendance, with much of the discussion focused on the fast-approaching Food Organics Garden Organics (FOGO) rollout scheduled for 30 June in Cessnock, Maitland, and Singleton. The NSW Government has established a statewide mandate to introduce food and garden kerbside collection for composting by 2030 to reduce waste to landfill.

Attendees also shared a range of exciting upcoming initiatives, including:

• Biodiversity and conservation workshops
• ‘Energy Wise’ programs
• Cloth nappy workshops
• School tours designed to engage and inspire the next generation.

The Hunter Joint Organisation provided updates on current and upcoming programs, with particular interest from councils on strategies for running an effective communication campaign around safe battery disposal. It was a day full of shared knowledge and inspiration.