It is a great pleasure and honor to have been appointed the new National Executive Officer for AORA.

I would like to acknowledge and thank the AORA Board for their confidence in me to take on this exciting and challenging opportunity.

A great time to commence in the role too with the 2022 Annual Conference only days away providing a wonderful opportunity for me to meet many of our members, sponsors, and key stakeholders and for all the aforementioned to do likewise and get a sense of what the new NEO is like.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank Peter Olah with whom I spent time with in Brisbane in early June undertaking a handover of NEO tasks. Peter’s passion for AORA and our industry was evident, and he gave freely of his time and knowledge for which I am grateful. My hope is to continue to build upon the work and legacy of Peter Olah.

My personal philosophy in leading AORA will be based on five principles which I have developed and refined over my previous tenures in leading peak industry Associations. They are – Advocate, Communicate, Educate, Collaborate, and Innovate.

If AORA can do these five things well, we will be successful, and that success will be a shared outcome – we will all benefit. They are not mutually exclusive principles either, each works to support and enhance the others.

If there is a cautionary note for the future, it is this. Our successes must be built on collaboration and a willingness to work together and to support one another. One of the great attractions for me in taking on this role is the opportunities; we are on the cusp of achieving outstanding outcomes and benefits for our industry and beyond if we work together and if we are willingly support our national peak industry Association, AORA.

A great dairy farmer friend of mine who has now sadly passed, remarked to me early on in my career in the dairy industry “if you are not part of the solution, you must be part of the problem.”

I commend to you to support AORA, advocate for it and the work that we do - it is vital that we have a strong and effective peak industry body. In close association with the AORA Board, I will commit to you that I will do everything I can to make shared success a reality and to make the Australian organics recycling industry a success story we can all be proud of and benefit from.

John McKew

National Executive Officer

Australian Organics Recycling Association

Sponsorship Benefits include;

The Conference theme in 2022 is Building the Future of our Industry – Turning our organic waste into a national resource.

We have an amazing line up of speakers and if you can't join us in Adelaide next week, you don't have to miss out! A virtual attendance option is available!

August 2-11 - Economic Contribution Webinars

August 17 - Exploring Organic Amendments for Composts - Mt Gambier

August 19 - Wineries Field Day - Mornington Peninsula

Parliament of Victoria Environment Legislation Amendment (Circular Economy and Other Matters) Bill 2022

As referenced in the Vic Update, A Bill for an Act to amend the Circular Economy (Waste Reduction and Recycling) Act 2021, the Environment Protection Act 2017, the Sustainability Victoria Act 2005, the Climate Change Act 2017 and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 1998 and for other purposes has been prepared.

As California rolls out universal organics collection, recyclers are focus on expansion, infrastructure and end markets.

AORA member Ylad Living Soils say that their  investment in compost has significantly reduced her reliance on chemical inputs over the past 20 years.

If you have a story, link or news to share with AORA members, please email Alex