A federal parliamentary inquiry has recommended sweeping changes to Australia’s tyre industry, including nationally consistent end-of-life tyre regulations, a phased reduction in mining tyre burial, stronger replacement tyre standards and an independent audit of the existing tyre stewardship scheme. Tyre Stewardship Australia has welcomed the findings and called for the government to act.
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science has released When the Rubber Hits the Road: Inquiry into the Australian Tyre Industry, a report examining how Australia manages tyres throughout their working life and after they reach the end of it.
Tabled in Parliament on 15 October 2026, the report contains 12 recommendations addressing regulatory inconsistencies, tyre collection and recycling, product stewardship, mining tyres, domestic recycling markets and emerging recovery technologies.
The inquiry recognises that Australia has made progress in tyre recovery over the past decade, but identifies significant gaps in the systems needed to ensure end-of-life tyres are collected, processed and returned to productive use.
Importantly, the committee’s recommendations extend beyond the question of mandatory product stewardship. They examine the regulatory, operational and commercial conditions required for a more effective national tyre recovery system.
What Does the Parliamentary Report Recommend?
The committee’s 12 recommendations cover several interconnected areas of reform.
Nationally Consistent Tyre Regulations
The first recommendation calls for the Australian Government to work with state and territory governments to develop a nationally harmonised regulatory framework for end-of-life tyres.
This would include consistent definitions and classifications, common requirements for storage, transport and processing, and aligned controls governing landfill and disposal.
Australia currently operates under a combination of federal, state and territory requirements, creating differences in how end-of-life tyres are managed across jurisdictions.
The committee’s recommendation seeks to reduce these inconsistencies and establish a clearer national framework for businesses operating across state borders.
A separate recommendation calls for a review of enforcement under the Recycling and Waste Reduction (Export—Waste Tyres) Rules 2021, with the objective of ensuring non-compliant tyre exports are identified and effectively managed.
This is an important distinction. Introducing regulations is only one part of managing tyre waste. The report also recognises the need to ensure existing requirements are properly enforced.
A Five-Year Transition Away from Mining Tyre Burial
The management of off-the-road (OTR) tyres receives particular attention.
Large tyres used in mining and other industrial applications present substantial collection and processing challenges, especially at remote sites where transport distances and recovery costs can be significant.
The committee recommends a nationally consistent framework that prioritises recovery, reuse and recycling over onsite burial.
Its proposed approach includes a staged reduction in onsite burial over the next five years, interim recovery targets, support for regional and remote processing infrastructure, and public reporting of progress.
The recommendation does not establish an immediate prohibition on burial. Instead, it proposes a transition supported by measurable recovery targets and infrastructure development.
For the mining sector, this would represent a significant change in how end-of-life tyres are managed, particularly where onsite burial has remained an accepted disposal practice.
However, achieving the proposed transition will depend on the availability of economically and technically viable recovery pathways.
Replacement Tyre Standards Come Under Scrutiny
One of the report’s recommendations extends beyond tyre recycling into the broader tyre supply chain.
The committee calls for a review of the regulatory framework governing replacement tyres, noting that these products are not currently subject to the Australian Design Rules in the same way as tyres supplied on new vehicles.
The review would examine appropriate mechanisms for establishing and enforcing design, performance and sustainability standards, including the possible adoption of contemporary international standards.
It would also consider measures to improve tyre durability, repairability, retreadability and resource efficiency.
The report records concerns raised during the inquiry about lower-cost, shorter-life tyres and their potential contribution to waste generation. It also recognises that affordable replacement tyres remain important for consumers.
The committee’s recommendation is for a regulatory review, rather than an immediate change to tyre import or sales requirements.
Nevertheless, it could have implications for manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers, particularly if future standards place greater emphasis on durability and end-of-life outcomes.
Product Stewardship: Audit First, Mandatory Participation Under Consideration
Product stewardship is a central component of the report, but the committee has taken a more conditional approach than simply recommending an immediate mandatory scheme.
Recommendation 5 calls for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to conduct an independent audit of the Tyre Product Stewardship Scheme administered by Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), with the findings made public.
The committee acknowledges TSA’s contribution since the voluntary scheme was established in 2014, including its involvement in research, market development and initiatives to improve end-of-life tyre management.
It also examines concerns raised by industry participants about the scheme’s governance, industry representation and relationships with parts of the tyre recycling sector.
The report refers to an independent review commissioned in 2025, which assessed TSA as performing well within the scope of the existing voluntary scheme. That review nevertheless identified limitations associated with voluntary participation and opportunities for improvement.
The parliamentary committee considers that a further independent audit would help inform decisions about the scheme’s future.
Mandatory Stewardship Is Not Yet a Foregone Conclusion
Recommendation 6 calls for the government, pending the outcome of the audit, to strengthen Australia’s tyre stewardship framework, including consideration of a transition to a mandatory national scheme under the Recycling and Waste Reduction Act 2020.
Such a framework would require relevant participants across the tyre supply chain to contribute to responsible tyre management.
However, the report does not direct the government to introduce mandatory participation immediately.
It also recommends that, should a mandatory national scheme be established, its operator be appointed through an open, transparent and competitive tender process.
This would mean the administration of any future mandatory scheme would not automatically be assigned to TSA.
The committee emphasises that future arrangements should include robust governance, accountability and effective representation of stakeholders across the supply chain.
These recommendations establish two important tests for future policy: whether mandatory participation is justified by the evidence, and whether the organisation administering a scheme can demonstrate the capability and accountability required to deliver it.
Regional Australia Needs More Than Regulation
The report identifies significant challenges for regional, rural and remote communities, where tyre collection and recycling costs are often higher than in metropolitan areas.
Long transport distances, limited processing infrastructure and smaller volumes can make commercially viable recovery difficult.
The committee recommends that any future mandatory national stewardship scheme include dedicated and ongoing funding to address these gaps.
Proposed measures include regional recovery hubs, secure storage facilities, mobile and modular processing equipment, local processing solutions and support for transport and logistics costs.
Local government also features prominently in the report, with approximately one-third of inquiry submissions coming from local government representatives.
Councils face the practical consequences of inadequate tyre management, including illegal dumping, stockpiling, clean-up expenses and associated environmental and fire risks.
The recommendations recognise that national funding and regulation must translate into practical collection and recovery services, particularly in areas where commercial solutions are currently limited.
Creating Markets for Recovered Tyre Materials
The final four recommendations focus on building demand for recovered tyre materials and supporting technologies that can extend tyre life or recover valuable resources.
The committee recommends greater use of crumb rubber in road infrastructure through national specifications, government procurement and demonstration projects.
It also identifies retreading as a priority circular economy activity, recognising its potential to extend tyre service life and reduce waste.
Government procurement is another proposed mechanism for strengthening domestic demand.
The report recommends increased purchasing of Australian-made products containing recycled tyre materials and greater use of retreaded tyres, particularly in government-owned and contracted heavy vehicle fleets.
Finally, the committee calls for closer collaboration between industry, universities, CSIRO and other research institutions to accelerate the development and commercialisation of emerging tyre recycling technologies.
These recommendations address a fundamental challenge for the recycling industry: recovering materials from end-of-life tyres does not, by itself, create a sustainable circular economy.
Recovered materials must also have reliable, commercially viable markets.
Without sufficient demand for recycled rubber and other recovered materials, additional collection and processing capacity may not translate into lasting environmental or economic benefits.
TSA Welcomes the Report and Calls for Government Action
Following the report’s tabling on 15 October, Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA) issued a media release titled Federal Parliament has spoken on tyres. The time for action is now.
TSA welcomed the committee’s findings and urged the Australian Government to act on the 12 recommendations during the current parliamentary term.
TSA Chief Executive Officer Lina Goodman thanked committee chair Rob Mitchell MP and committee members for their examination of the industry’s challenges.
The organisation argued that the parliamentary findings reinforce previous work by state governments and industry stakeholders, including the Western Australian-led National End-of-Life Tyres Options project.
TSA’s response placed particular emphasis on the need for nationally consistent regulation and stronger participation across the tyre supply chain.
The organisation maintains that voluntary stewardship creates an imbalance between businesses that contribute financially to responsible tyre management and those that do not.
It argues that broader participation would help address this issue and provide a more consistent funding base for tyre recovery.
TSA Supports Independent Audit and Competitive Tendering
Significantly, TSA has welcomed the recommendation for an independent audit of the existing scheme and the proposal for competitive tendering should a future mandatory scheme be established.
Goodman said TSA would cooperate with the audit and supported an evidence-based approach to developing a stronger national framework.
The organisation also highlighted its existing activities, reporting more than 1,700 scheme participants and over $12 million invested in market development since the scheme began.
These figures illustrate the scale of TSA’s existing operations, although the parliamentary committee’s proposed audit would provide an additional public assessment of the scheme’s performance and governance.
Mining Tyres and Domestic Recycling Remain Priorities
TSA also welcomed the proposed transition away from onsite burial of mining tyres.
According to figures cited in its media release, OTR tyre recovery has increased from 9% to 21% since 2021.
While this represents progress, the figures also highlight the substantial proportion of OTR tyres that remain outside recovery pathways.
TSA supports the committee’s proposed five-year transition, interim recovery targets and greater investment in regional and remote infrastructure.
The organisation also endorsed the recommendations relating to crumb rubber in roads, tyre retreading, government procurement and research into new recycling technologies.
In support of stronger national rules, TSA cited its commissioned consumer research indicating that 91% of Australians support national tyre management requirements and that respondents were willing to pay approximately $6 per tyre for responsible disposal.
These are findings from TSA-commissioned research, rather than recommendations or financial estimates made by the parliamentary committee.
What Happens Next?
The report provides a detailed set of recommendations, but it does not itself change Australia’s tyre regulations.
The Australian Government must determine which recommendations it will accept, how they would be implemented and what legislative, regulatory or funding changes may be required.
Several proposals would also depend on cooperation between federal, state and territory governments.
The independent audit of the existing stewardship scheme is particularly significant because it would inform consideration of any transition to mandatory participation.
For the recycling industry, the next stage will be whether the government moves beyond policy development to address collection gaps, enforcement, processing capacity and demand for recovered materials.
TreadTorque Perspective: Reform Must Deliver Outcomes Across the Entire Supply Chain
The parliamentary report is significant because it recognises that Australia’s end-of-life tyre challenges cannot be resolved through product stewardship alone.
Nationally consistent regulations, stronger enforcement, practical collection infrastructure, commercially viable processing and reliable markets for recycled materials are all necessary components of an effective system.
The committee’s recommendation for an independent audit before considering mandatory stewardship is therefore particularly important.
Mandatory participation could provide more predictable funding and reduce the free-rider problem identified by TSA. However, collecting additional funds from the tyre supply chain does not automatically guarantee better collection coverage, increased processing capacity or stronger demand for recovered materials.
Those outcomes must be demonstrated.
The proposed competitive tender process is also a constructive safeguard. It recognises that any future mandatory scheme should be administered by an organisation selected for its ability to deliver measurable outcomes, rather than through an automatic continuation of existing arrangements.
Equally important are the recommendations concerning OTR tyre burial, regional collection infrastructure and domestic recycling markets. These address physical and commercial gaps that cannot be solved by changing the funding model alone.
Australia has previously examined mandatory tyre stewardship, including through the 2018 Senate inquiry into the waste and recycling industry. The latest report provides another opportunity to move from recommendations to measurable improvements.
The real test will not be whether Australia introduces more regulation or establishes a larger stewardship scheme.
It will be whether fewer tyres are illegally dumped or buried, more tyres enter legitimate recovery pathways, and recovered materials are converted into products with sustainable markets.
That is the outcome against which any future reform should ultimately be judged.
Sources: House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation and Science, When the Rubber Hits the Road: Inquiry into the Australian Tyre Industry, September 2026, tabled 15 October 2026; Tyre Stewardship Australia, Federal Parliament has spoken on tyres. The time for action is now, media release, 15 October 2026.
