Reports

Reports on the Proposed Covenant Mark II

Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) on the Covenant Proposal
Commissioned by the Environmental Protection and Heritage Council and conducted by consultants Nolan ITU, the objectives of the RIS were to identify the alternative for managing packaging waste and then to model the costs and benefits of this alternative.  Some of its conclusions regarding cost have been strongly criticised, especially by Local Government.

MWAC Submission on the Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS)
A brief discussion of major flaws in the analysis provided to Ministers in April 2005 about the effectiveness and cost of the Covenant Mark II.  A copy of the RIS can be downloaded from the EPHC website (www.ephc.gov.au/nepms/upm/upm_covenant.html).

MWAC Submission on the Final Proposal
A brief expose of the major flaws of the Draft Covenant Mark II released in April 2005.  A copy of the RIS can be downloaded from the EPHC website (www.ephc.gov.au/nepms/upm/upm_covenant.html/nepms/upm/upm_covenant.html).

MWAC Submission on Consultation Proposal 
A detailed response to the 29 recommendations of the Consultation Proposal released in June 2004 (below).  Provides structural critique as well as many suggestions for 'fine tuning' within existing structures.

Consultation Proposal for Strengthening the Covenant
A set of changes to the Covenant, recommended to address the issues raised in the various reviews. Produced by the National Packaging Covenant Council in June 2004.

Official Evaluations of the Covenant Mark I

Several reports into the Covenant were produced early in 2004 by three separate, independent consultants. The reports were ostensibly used by the Covenant Council to develop a set of recommendations for how the Covenant should be modified. The degree of consistency between the reports has been exaggerated and those findings which would be most problematic for the continuation of the Covenant have been largely ignored. The reader is encouraged to form their own view by reading the reports themselves:

Evaluation of the Covenant (Vol 1-3)
An Evaluation of the Covenant against the stated objectives of the Covenant. Commissioned by the National Packaging Covenant Council and produced by Nolan ITU.  The primary aim of the project was to ascertain how well the Covenant achieved its objectives. A secondary aim was to identify areas of weakness and opportunities for improvement.

An Independent Local Government Evaluation of the National Packaging Covenant
A compilation of Local Government views on the Covenant and accompanying processes. Commissioned by the Local Government Association of Queensland and the Municipal Association of Victoria and produced by Meinhardt.  This evaluation collated the views of Local Government rather than offering conclusions about the Covenant directly.

Review of the National Packaging Covenant
An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Covenant in achieving both its stated objectives and broader environmental and social outcomes. Commissioned by the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and produced by the Institute for Sustainable Futures.  This report was designed to produce a critical assessment of the Covenant in the broader context of issues and concerns surrounding packaging waste. This distinguishes it from the Nolan ITU evaluation which was limited by the Covenant's stated objectives.