City Of Melville Minutes – SMRC RRRC WCF Odour Issue -15 March 2011
14. REPORTS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
LATE ITEM T11/3191 – VARIATION REQUEST TO THE REGIONAL RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE – PROJECT PARTICIPANTS AGREEMENT (REC) (ATTACHMENT)
Disclosure of Interest
Item No : T11/3191
Elected Member/Officer : John Christie, Director Technical Services
Type of Interest : Interest under Code of Conduct 4.3
Nature of Interest : Resides in the City of Cockburn
Request : Not Applicable
Decision of Council : Not Required
Ward : All
Category : Strategic
Subject Index : Waste Management
Customer Index : Southern Metropolitan Regional Council – SMRC
Disclosure of any Interest : Code of Conduct – Officer who prepared the report
resides in the City of Cockburn.
Previous Items : Nil
Works Programme : Not Applicable
Funding : Not Applicable
Responsible Officer : John Christie
Director Technical Services
AUTHORITY / DISCRETION DEFINITION
Advocacy when Council advocates on its own behalf or on behalf of its community to another level of government/body/agency. Executive the substantial direction setting and oversight role of council. e.g. adopting plans and reports, accepting tenders, directing operations, setting and amending budgets. Legislative includes adopting local laws, town planning schemes & policies. Review when Council review decisions made by Officers. Quasi-Judicial when Council determines an application/matter that directly affects a person’s right and interests. The judicial character arises from the obligation to abide by the principles of natural justice. Examples of Quasi-Judicial authority include town planning applications, building licences, applications for other permits/licences (eg under Health Act, Dog Act or Local Laws)
and other decisions that may be appealable to the State Administrative Tribunal.
LATE ITEM T11/3191 – VARIATION REQUEST TO THE REGIONAL RESOURCE RECOVERY CENTRE – PROJECT PARTICIPANTS AGREEMENT (REC) (ATTACHMENT)
KEY ISSUES / SUMMARY
• The City of Cockburn has requested a variation to the Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC) Projects Participants Agreement to trial a reduced number of green waste verge collections for a trial period of 12 months.
• The RRRC Project Participants Agreement states that “All Project Participants must give consent to change the RRRC Project Participants Agreement.”
• The City of Cockburn does not believe that the reduction in collections will affect the volumes of green waste delivered to the RRRC and is confident that the volumes will remain consistent over the 12 month trial period.
• The request by the City of Cockburn to vary their green waste verge collections will not affect the City of Melville operations.
• It is recommended that Council approve a variation to the RRRC Project Participants Agreement and allow the City of Cockburn to change their green waste verge collections for a trial period of 12 months.
BACKGROUND
The City of Melville along with the Cites of Fremantle, Cockburn and the Town of East Fremantle, are Project Participants in the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council’s Regional Resource Recovery Centre. The RRRC Project Participants Agreement details the terms of the project that all Project Participants must abide by. The RRRC Project Participants Agreement states that all Project Participants must give consent to change the RRRC Project Participants Agreement.
Clause 5.2 (d) of the Deed of Variation of the RRRC Project Participants Agreement dated 2000 states project participants must:
“collect Green Waste from the verge of all residential premises on at least 3 occasions each year”
Furthermore clause 5.6 (a) requires project participants to:
“deliver to the RRRC, all Green Waste collected by, for or on behalf of the Project Participant from residents in the district”
DETAIL
The City of Cockburn has requested a variation to the RRRC Projects Participants Agreement to trial a reduced number of green waste verge collections for a trial period of 12 months. The trail proposes to reduce the green waste verge collections from three per annum, to two per annum. This request is a result of community feedback from residents, a significant increase in Junk Waste of 32% and the need to balance their waste collection operations. The City of Cockburn have identified a reduction of green waste over the past two years of six percent (6%) and considers it necessary to vary their collection services to accommodate this change. They do not believe that the reduction in collections will affect the volumes of green waste delivered to the RRRC and are confident that the volumes will remain consistent over the 12-month trial period. The trial will allow an assessment to be made by both the City of Cockburn and the Southern
Metropolitan Regional Council on the future of verge collections within the City of Cockburn and the Southern Metropolitan Region. As the request from the City of Cockburn does not comply with the requirements of the RRRC Project Participants Agreement, the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council has requested that the City of Melville and all other remaining Project Participants agree to the variation.
3191_Variation_Request_to_the_RRRC_Project_Participants_Agreement As this request will not have an impact on the City of Melville’s operations, it is recommended that Council approve the City of Cockburn request and allow them to modify
their green waste verge collections to two collections for a 12-month period. The City of Melville has previously considered undertaking a review of the verge collections to determine if the current three Green Waste and one Junk Waste collection meets the needs of its residents. The data gathered by the City of Cockburn and the Southern
Metropolitan Regional Council during this trial period will be useful in determining the future options for verge collections within the City of Melville.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION/COMMUNICATION
There has been no public consultation with respect to this matter at the City of Melville, however the City of Cockburn have consulted their community and are seeking approval from the remaining Project Participants.
CONSULTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES / CONSULTANTS
There has been no consultation with other Agencies or Consultants with respect to this request from the City of Cockburn.
STATUTORY AND LEGAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no Statutory or Legal implications for the City associated with this report other than those identified in the RRRC Project Participants Agreement.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Whilst it is understood that there should be no financial implications for the City associated with this report, the City and the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council will continue to monitor the green waste volumes from the City of Cockburn to ensure that the viability of the Green Waste Facility at the RRRC.
STRATEGIC, RISK AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no Strategic, Risk or Environmental implications for the City associated with this report.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
There are no Policy implications associated with this report.
ALTERNATE OPTIONS & THEIR IMPLICATIONS
Council could resolve not to approve the variation request to the RRRC Project Participants Agreement, which would result in the City of Cockburn having to comply with the current requirements of the RRRC Projects Participants Agreement and continue with three Green Waste collections.
Discussions with the City of Cockburn have identified a reduction in green waste of six percent (6%) over the past two financial years and a thirty two percent (32%) increase in Junk Waste over the same period. This increase is having an impact on their operations and the City of Cockburn believe there is a greater need to balance the disposed tonnages in
order to achieve efficiencies in their collection operations. Should Council resolve to reject this variation request, then this will have an adverse effect on the waste operations of the City of Cockburn.
CONCLUSION
While it appears the variation request will not have a detrimental affect on the City of Melville operations, the increased Junk Waste volumes experienced by the City of Cockburn are having detrimental operational and financial impacts to their waste service provision. Based on the information provided by the City of Cockburn and their need to provide an
effective and efficient waste collection service to their residents, it is recommended that Council approve a variation to the RRRC Project Participants Agreement and allow the City of Cockburn to change their green waste verge collection for a trial period of 12 months. The City will continue to monitor green waste volumes at the RRRC and will consider any
impact on the operations of the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council during the trial period. Should the trial be successful, then the City of Cockburn would need to request a permanent change to the RRRC Project Participants Agreement at the end of the trail period, to which all Project Participants would need to agree.
OFFICER RECOMMENDATION & COUNCIL RESOLUTION (3191) APPROVAL
At 6.55pm Cr Robartson moved, seconded Cr Ceniviva – That the Council:
1. Approve a variation to the Regional Resource Recovery Centre – Project Participants Agreement to allow the City of Cockburn to change their Green Waste Collections to two collections per annum for a trial period of 12 months providing there are no adverse financial implications to the City of Melville
2. Informs the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council in writing of point 1 above. At 7.11pm the Mayor submitted the motion which was declared CARRIED (10/0)
