City of Fremantle Minutes – SMRC RRRC WCF Odour Issue – 9 March 2011
SGS1103-2 SOUTHERN METROPOLITAN REGIONAL COUNCIL- CITY OF COCKBURN TRIAL OF REDUCED GREEN WASTE COLLECTIONS
DataWorks Reference: 030/017
Disclosure of Interest: Nil
Meeting Date: 9 March 2011
Previous Item: Nil
Responsible Officer: Graeme Mackenzie, Chief Executive Officer
Actioning Officer: Peter Pikor, Director Technical Services
Decision Making Authority: Committee
Agenda Attachments: Letter from the SMRC
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) has written to the City advising that at its Regional Council meeting in February 2011, it considered a proposal from the City of Cockburn for that member Council to trial a reduction from three to two green waste verge collections for a one year period commencing in July 2011. All Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC) project participants including the City of Fremantle must give consent to this change as the Project Participants Agreement requires that for each of the participants, green waste is collected from the verge of all residential premises on at least three occasions each year. It is considered that agreement can be given to the proposed trial from the City of Cockburn to reduce the number of green waste verge collections for a year period.
BACKGROUND
The City of Cockburn is a member of the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) and a project participant of the Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC). Under the current RRRC agreement, it is required to undertake three green waste collections a year. The City of Cockburn at its meeting in February 2011 has resolved to amend its bulk verge collection program from three green waste collections and one junk collection per annum to two green waste collections and two junk collections for a one year trial period in the 2011/12 financial year.
The RRRC project participant’s agreement requires each project participant to implement the Regional Waste Collection System and this requires undertaking a minimum frequency of bulk green waste collections on at least 3 occasions each year. As the City of Cockburn’s proposed amendment does not comply with the requirements of the project participant’s agreement, all of the RRRC Project Participants must agree to the variation.
COMMENT
The SMRC has given consideration to the likely impacts of the City of Cockburn’s trial and the main issues relate to the operational and business sustainability.
It has been indicated that from an operational aspect, the proposed City of Cockburn’s move to two collections will result in green waste collected over a shorter period of 23 weeks rather that the current 31 weeks. Assuming an equivalent total amount of waste, this will result in an additional 35% loading rate of the City of Cockburn’s waste being received at the RRRC due to the shorter collection period. The periods selected by the City of Cockburn are in spring and autumn which tends to coincide with the heaviest overall generation rates for green waste from all sources. This can put additional pressure on the grinding operation at the RRRC and may require additional contractor services during peak periods. It can also accentuate the low periods where minimal amounts of green waste are received resulting in under utilisation of resources. The programming of the collection periods will need to be managed to maintain an efficient operation.
With regard to the business sustainability, the reduced number of collections may result in lower tonnage of green waste collected however the scheduling of the proposed two collections to coincide with the more active periods of the year for green waste generation may counteract this issue.
A reduction of green waste tonnages will impact on the business sustainability of the SMRC’s green waste operation.
RISK AND OTHER IMPLICATIONS
Financial
If there are adverse financial impacts from the City of Cockburn’s trial this will have an effect on the SMRC’s budget considerations.
Legal
The City of Fremantle is required to consent to the proposed amendment to the existing agreement.
Operational
Nil
Organisational
Nil
CONCLUSION
The City of Cockburn is proposing to trial a reduction from three to two collections for its green waste. The SMRC has identified some potential operational and business sustainability impacts but these cannot be quantified at this stage.
As the City of Cockburn’s proposal is for a trial of a one year period, it is considered that agreement from this City can be given to their proposed reduction in green waste collections.
If the alteration to the collection system is to be on an ongoing basis, the City of Fremantle would have to give consent to this future amendment.
STRATEGIC AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS
This item deals with the opportunity for the Fremantle Council as a member of the Regional Council and project participant of the RRRC to formally comment on the City of Cockburn’s proposed trial.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Nil
VOTING AND OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Simple Majority Required
COMMITTEE DECISION
MOVED: Cr S Wainwright
That the Strategic and General Services Committee under delegated authority advises the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council of its agreement for the City of Cockburn to reduce its number of green waste verge collections from three to
two for a one year trial in the 2011/12 financial year.
CARRIED: 6/0
