Waste management changes and concerns

THE Upper Hunter Shire Council adopted a new Waste Management Strategy 2021-31 on Monday, which includes implementing green bins for organic foods in 2022, increasing the Aberdeen landfill and closing landfills in Merriwa, Murrurundi and Scone so they can be converted to Waste Transfer Stations (WTS). 

The strategy was put on public exhibition in May and face-to-face community meetings were conducted at Aberdeen, Scone, Merriwa, Murrurundi, Cassilis and Moonan, however attendance numbers were low in most towns. 

Waste management attendance numbers:

• Aberdeen 0
• Scone 2
• Merriwa 5
• Cassilis 10
• Moonan 5

Council’s Manager of Waste and Sustainability, Paul Jakes, said public comments included support for the introduction of a third bin service, concerns about illegal dumping, provision of waste services to outlying community members and the cost of waste services.

Community concerns

One formal submission was put to Council by the Merriwa District Progress Association (MDPA), which strongly opposed the relocation of the Merriwa Waste Management Facility (WMF) to Cullingral Road.

“Council’s Paul Jakes advised that a million dollar facility is planned in the industrial area on Cullingral Road. As Merriwa experiences a growth in tourism, we feel that a WTS near the Golden Highway on the approach to Merriwa would be unsightly. In any case, we would discourage any proposal that causes contamination of a new area of land,” wrote the MDPA.

Council staff responded saying the existing Merriwa Waste Management Facility has reached the end of its landfilling life and is being prepared for closure and remediation and the new site will be created to manage the “inherent risks associated with a legacy landfill.”

The design of the new facility is still very much in the preliminary design stages. The aesthetics of this facility are an integral part of the design brief. If the site proves unsuitable then further investigative work will be conducted. With regards to the stated “million dollar facility,” this quantum was mentioned as a potential cost of remediating the landfill, not as a cost to develop a new site.

Council will use $400,000 received from the Environmental Protection Agency Landfill Consolidation and Environmental Improvements Grant in 2018 to remediate the Merriwa and Murrurundi Waste Management Facilities.

The MDPA also raised concerns over the closure of the Cassilis Waste Management Facility, which would force residents in the far west of the Shire to drive up to 50 kilometres to access the next nearest facility at Merriwa.

“We believe this action has the potential to encourage illegal dumping of waste, and should therefore be avoided,” said the MDPA.

The MDPA recommended Council employ a local from Cassilis to open the facility gates, as it’s only open on Saturday.

Council staff said they’re still looking at a number of options regarding the future of the Cassilis site.

Due to past issues with illegal dumping and asbestos contamination, the facility requires supervision during opening hours and Council considers the prompt removal of waste received at the facility the most appropriate course of action, given that the facility is not managed as a waste storage location. Whilst Council could potentially employ a local to open the gates, we would continue to incur costs associated with site supervision, waste transport and disposal at the Merriwa WMF.

The MDPA also warned Council if the introduction of the organic green bins are to include meat scraps and are not collected weekly, it will cause “extensive stench from rotting foodstuffs.”

“We object to food scraps being dumped with green waste in these (green lid) bins. However, we support the introduction of green bins for garden plant matter, to be emptied in the opposite fortnight to the (yellow) recycling bins . . . therefore, we recommend retaining the status-quo, but introducing a fortnightly green (garden plant matter ONLY) green bin,” said the MDPA.

Council staff explained the green-lidded bin containing food scraps will be serviced weekly, with the red and yellow-lidded bins collected on alternate fortnights.

This collection schedule aligns with current best practices. Approximately 30 percent of Australian residents currently have access to a Food Organics/Garden Organics (FOGO) service and experiences to date support this. Despite the concerns raised, odour has not been a significant issue for those Councils that have adopted the fortnightly collection of red lidded bins.

Following public consultation and the submission, no major changes made to the Draft Strategy.

At the July Council meeting on Monday night, Cr Abbott raised the proposed expansion of the Aberdeen landfill site.

Upper Hunter Shire general manager Greg McDonald said Council is “only looking at expanding the Aberdeen facility at this stage” and has no official plans to expand the site.

To view all public comments made on the Waste Management Strategy 2021-2031, visit page 139 of the Council July Meeting Agenda.