POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
Australia
Overview
DATA TABLE (Millions US$)
| x | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| Total Market Size | 5960 | 6198 | 6445 |
| Total Local Production | 2013 | 2094 | 2177 |
| Total Exports | 225 | 234 | 243 |
| Total Imports | 4172 | 4338 | 4511 |
| Imports from the U.S. | 626 | 651 | 677 |
Exchange rates:
2005 0.75
2006 0.75
2007 0.75
The above figures are unofficial estimates.
The total environmental market (goods and services) is valued at close to US$18 billion. Spending on environmental goods accounts for approximately 35 percent of the total market. The industry is comprised of about 2,500 mostly small firms that employ a total of 100,000 people. Imports currently satisfy 70 percent of total demand for goods.
Australian consumers see four countries as leaders in the environmental industry: Japan in air pollution control; France in water; and the U.S. and Germany in pollution abatement equipment and waste management technologies. Other international key players are considered to be the U.K. Canada and the Netherlands. Overall, the U.S. has the largest share (15 percent) of the import market for environmental technology. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the Free Trade Agreement between the U.S. and Australia (AUSFTA) has assisted the U.S. maintain this market share.
The two driving forces behind the demand for environmental goods and services are increasing community awareness and revised government regulations. Population pressure in part explains the demand for water and wastewater treatment. In addition, water supply (primarily as a result of Australia’s prolonged drought), salinity and greenhouse gas emissions are major environmental issues that will require not only better management practices but also significant investments in capital equipment.
Best Products/Services
The strongest opportunities are in the water and wastewater treatment sector, followed by reclamation and remediation. Wastewater treatment plants have, in the past, primarily been managed by state government-owned utilities. However, the corporatization of many utilities has resulted in increased opportunities for private sector participation in the delivery of water and wastewater services. Some water authorities have outsourced the management and maintenance of existing water treatment plants, while new plants are also being created under “build-own-operate-transfer” contracts by private sector interests. Many of these projects have in recent years been awarded to French and UK companies, in consortia with local firms. U.S. firms have been largely absent from the bidding process.
The pressure on local government to reduce the volume of waste going to landfills, together with rising costs associated with monitoring and managing landfill sites, is creating a market for technology with applications in minimizing waste, re-use, recovery, and recycling. Recycling remains the least popular sub-sector of the industry, given near monopoly buyers and low commodity prices. Despite this, regulatory pressure continues to force councils to look at more cost-effective recycling systems and services. As a result, some councils are now also exploring solid waste-to-energy recycling systems.
Site remediation is considered the most competitive area within the Australian environmental management industry. Contracting companies are required to provide integrated solutions in site assessment and remediation, and consultancies for decontamination projects in industrial metals, chemical contamination and agricultural chemical contamination. Environmental liabilities associated with business and property transactions are increasingly making on-site treatment and soil remediation more economically viable than the alternative of disposing of contaminants in landfill.
Opportunities
The following specific product opportunities have been listed under each product sub-sector:
Water and Wastewater Treatment
Remediation
Solid Waste Recycling
Air Pollution Control
Resources
Trade Show
Ozwater 2007
Date: March 4-8, 2007
Location: Sydney, New South Wales
Publications
State of the Environment Australia: http://www.deh.gov.au/soe/
Waste Management and Environment: http://www.wme.com.au/
Associations
Australian Water Association: http://www.awa.asn.au/
Environmental Business Australia: http://www.environmentbusiness.com.au/
Waste Management Association of Australia: http://www.wmaa.asn.au/
U.S. companies seeking information on the Australian environmental market are encouraged to contact John Kanawati at the U.S. Commercial Service in Sydney (email: john.kanawati@mail.doc.gov ).