With a significant wave of offshore decommissioning ahead, Australia’s waste planning needs to start well before material comes ashore.
Knowing what material you have, where it can go and who is responsible for it at every stage is critical. Long transport distances, multiple providers and different regulatory jurisdictions add another layer of complexity, and gaps in classification, handovers or disposal routes can quickly affect cost, schedule and compliance.
Kelly Smith, Head of Environmental and Decommissioning, joins the Centre of Decommissioning Australia's Plugging Away podcast, exploring how decades of North Sea experience can help Australia learn rather than repeat the same mistakes.
The conversation covers early strategy, NORM and hazardous materials handling, circular economy thinking, and integration across a fragmented supply chain, from producer to final disposal.