City of Rockingham Minutes – SMRC RRRC WCF Odour Issue – 24 February 2009
PURPOSE OF REPORT
To provide Council with an update on comments received when the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) advertised its draft Regional Waste Management Plan for public comment, and to seek Council’s adoption of the Plan.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Functional Area 3.- Land Use and the Environment
Action Plan 8.9 – In consultation with the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council continue to implement the Waste Management Strategy.
BACKGROUND
The Zero Waste Plan Development Scheme is an initiative of the Waste Management Board of Western Australia and developed in partnership with the Western Australian Local Government Association and Local Governments across Western Australia.
Any local government or constituted regional Local Government wishing to access funds under the Zero Waste Plan Development Scheme is required to complete and submit a Strategic Waste Management Plan (Plan) in accordance with the Ministerial Conditions published in the Government Gazette on 28 September 2007.
The Plans are intended to enable Local Governments to commence or improve existing strategies for the achievement of best practice municipal waste management in alignment with the State’s vision of Towards Zero Waste over the next five years (2008-2012). The Plan will reflect the current level of waste management services provided by each of the Local Governments involved in the formulation of the Plan.
Six of the member Council’s of the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) including the City Of Rockingham agreed for the SMRC to coordinate the preparation of a Regional Strategic Waste Management Plan on their behalf.
DETAILS
The Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) appointed Mr Bruce Bowman from Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd to act as the Project Manager during the preparation of the Zero Waste Plan Development Scheme.
Mr Bowman facilitated a series of discussion sessions with key officers who were appointed to act on behalf of Councils and could offer respective Council input into the development of the Plan for the Regional Council.
The outcome was that each Council nominated Officers to provide input into regional discussion that related to their area of expertise.
Seven working groups were established and contributed to the overall development of a regional Plan. Most groups met on two occasions and developed the framework and resulting recommendations for a Plan for the Region.
The SMRC prepared a draft plan and at their meeting on Thursday 25 September resolved that:
1. The draft Southern Metropolitan Regional Council Strategic Waste Management Plan draft 4 dated 14 September 2008 be received.
2. The draft Southern Metropolitan Regional Council Strategic Waste Management Plan draft dated 14 September 2008 to be provided to participating Councils and advertised for public comment for a period of 30 days.
3. The draft Southern Metropolitan Regional Council Strategic Waste Management Plan draft 4 dated 14 September 2008 be presented with comments for adoption at the Ordinary Meeting of Council in November 2008.
Council considered this matter at its October 2008 Meeting (CES372/10/08) whereby it resolved
“that the Draft Strategic Waster Management Plan prepared by the SMRC be distributed for public consultation”.
The SMRC received one submission by the cut of date on the Plan when it was advertised. The submission was received from Dr Heather Lamont, Member Harvest Lakes Residents Association and was positive and supportive of the Strategic Waste Management Plan.
The SMRC also received comment from the Department of Conservation and Environment.
COMMENT
The recently enacted Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007 requires Local Government to manage all waste generated by the Local Government and domestic waste generated by its residents. Local Government generates the following municipal waste streams:
- Construction and demolition waste from municipal infrastructure works such as roads, footpaths etc.
- Parks and gardens waste.
- Office administration waste.
The domestic waste streams comprise of:
- Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
- Recyclables
- Green Waste
- Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
- E-waste
- Bulk Waste kerbside collections
The strategic objective adopted by SMRC in waste management is “To ensure maximum recovery of waste to achieve a 95% diversion from landfill”.
With respect to domestic waste the SMRC built the Regional Resource Recovery Centre (RRRC) in Canning Vale, Western Australia. This facility has been fully operational since 2005 and has achieved an average annual diversion of waste from landfill of 65%. During this period the RRRC has processed 480,000 Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide equivalents (tCO2-e) from entering the atmosphere.
The RRRC services primarily five of its member Council’s (Canning, Melville, Fremantle, East Fremantle and Cockburn) at the RRRC. Both Kwinana and Rockingham only use the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). As a result, the regional average diversion of domestic waste from landfill is 41%.
The SMRC and its participating members are considering some 45 waste management activities over the next five years. The following major strategic initiatives have been adopted by the SMRC with respect to domestic waste in the SMRC region:
- Prepare a business plan to investigate the feasibility of building a second RRRC in the southern part of the region to service Kwinana and Rockingham. This will bring the regional average domestic waste diversion up from 41% to 65%. The business plan will be considered by the Regional Council in 2009. If the plan is to proceed the second facility could be operational in five years.
- The SMRC has completed extensive trials on weekly collection of co-mingled recyclables which concluded that when fully implemented in the region will lift the average regional diversion rate of domestic waste from 65% to 75%. The SMRC has resolved to assist member Councils to adopt weekly collection of recyclables. It is estimated that the member Councils will have all moved to weekly collections by 2010.
- The SMRC is also investigating the potential users for its residual waste streams at the RRRC. At present the facility produces five different residual waste streams. This investigation will be ongoing (current systems under evaluation include depolymerisation and engineered fill from residual waste). This work is critical for the SMRC to move the regional average landfill diversion rate from 75% to its strategic objective of 95% diversion of waste from landfill.
- The SMRC is currently investigating and developing an E-waste collection and processing system in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and other regional local governments. This investigation is expected to be completed by October 2009.
- In addition, and of critical significance to the SMRC, is Greenhouse Gas abatement and the SMRC is investigating the use of prorolysis and gasification systems to convert its green waste in Bio-char. It is estimated that this will add an additional 15,000 Tonnes of tCO2-e abatement to the region. This investigation will be completed by June 2009.
Projected Diversion from Landfill with Implementation of Projects
In the areas of municipal generated waste the following strategies are being considered:
Construction and demolition (C & D) waste project to identify the quantity and character of this waste stream, with the view of developing a programme to maximise the recovery of these waste streams, complete with a financial model to determine the estimated costs and recovery rates.
The responsibility for non-local government waste lies with the generator of the waste and is not the SMRC’s or member Council’s responsibility. However the Regional Council believes that it has an obligation to assist these waste generators to implement systems to reduce their reliance on landfill and their greenhouse gas impact.
The areas the SMRC is considering within the plan are:
- Commercial recycling
- Construction and demolition waste
The process undertaken to prepare the Strategic Waste Management Plan (SWMP) was one of consultation with staff of the participating Councils. A series of workshops were convened to allow participation and to instil ownership in the process. The recommendations included at Section 11.1 have been derived from this inter Council consultative process. They are considered not only initiatives to further divert waste generated in the region from landfill, they are achievable within the proposed time frame through a collaborative approach.
Some minor amendments to the draft report have been incorporated. They do not change the report’s intent or objectives but help clarify actions. Further, some punctuation and grammar errors have been corrected.
The SMRC considered the Plan at its meeting held on 27 November and resolved:
1. The minor amendments itemised in the report be incorporated into the Final Plan.
2. The Southern Metropolitan Regional Council Strategic Waste Management Plan be adopted.
3. That the adopted Strategic Waste Management Plan be sent to the member councils’ CEOs for endorsement with a request that it be addressed at their respective December meetings of Council.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Nil
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Nil
STATUTORY IMPLICATIONS
Compliance with the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2007.
VOTING REQUIREMENTS
Normal
OFFICER RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopt the Strategic Waste Management Plan dated 1 December 2008 prepared by the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council on behalf of the SMRC participating members.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION/COUNCIL RESOLUTION
Moved Cr A Prince, Seconded Cr P Edman That Council endorse the Strategic Waste Management Plan dated 1 December 2008 prepared by the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council on behalf of the SMRC participating members.
Committee Voting – 4/0
Carried – 10/0
___________________________________________________________________________________________
PURPOSE OF REPORT
Seeking support for Council’s Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) delegate Cr Richard Smith to attend the Waste 2009 Conference with Council Officers and prior to the Conference accompany them on a field trip to investigate matters pertaining to the future direction and operations of Council’s Waste & Landfill Services.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Functional Area 3 – Land Use and the Environment.
Action Plan 8.9 – In consultation with the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC) continue to implement the Waste Management Strategy
BACKGROUND
The Waste 2009 Conference will be held at the Novotel Pacific Bay Resort, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales over the 1st and 2nd April 2009. Prior to the Conference a field trip (around Sydney) has been co-ordinated to met with representatives and view operations of:
- Organic 3rd Bin System
- New Alternate Waste Treatment Facility (AWT) at Jack’s Gully
- Managemate domestic waste bin auditing system
Cr R Smith has indicated an interest in attending the conference and field trip in his capacity as Council’s delegate to the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council (SMRC).
DETAILS
Australia’s premier waste management conference will feature addresses from international and national leaders, as well as covering all the latest practical developments under the theme of ‘innovative ideas creating practical solutions’.
As well as keynotes, case studies and panel discussions, conference features include a trade expo and social networking opportunities. The latest topics that will be covered include:
- Carbon and Waste
- Climate Change Mitigation
- E-waste
- Contracts and Tenders
- Organics and Food Waste
- Waste Education
- AWT
- Waste to Energy
The Australian Governments recent decision under the White Paper to include Waste under the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS), has added a new dimension to Waste Management. Experts will be presenting on the CPRS, Emissions Trading, Carbon Pollution reduction and Climate Change adaptation and mitigation
COMMENT
The Chief Executive Officer has given approval for Mr Graham Rose, Manager Waste & Landfill Services and Mr Paul Molony Waste Services Co-ordinator to attend the Conference. Mr Rose has arranged the field trip and meetings prior to the Conference and the site visits will outline the history, progress and status of 3 key projects that are currently being investigated by Council Officers.
POLICY IMPLICATIONS
Nil
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
Funds are available within Budget allocation Account Number 200010.1013 – Conference Expenses Elected Members.
Cost to attend the Waste 2009 Conference, registration is $995. A further $2,000 will be required to meet travel, accommodation and other expenses.
STATUTORY IMPLICATIONS
Nil.
VOTING REQUIREMENTS
Normal
OFFICER RECOMMENDATION/COUNCIL RESOLUTION
Moved Cr A Prince, Seconded Cr J Stewart That Councillor Richard Smith be nominated to attend the Waste 2009 Conference to be held on 1st and 2nd April 2009 and the Landfill and Waste field trip.
Carried – 10/0
