Regional Waste Strategy 2018–2023 2 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
Our vision
To be a leader in waste minimisation and resource recovery through collaborative best practice. CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 3
Contents
Our vision 2
Acronyms 4
Letter from the minister 5
Foreword 7
Executive summary 8
1. Overview and introduction 9
2. Where are we today? 14
3. Where do we want to get to? 31
4. How will we get there? 34
5. How will the strategy be implemented? 39
6. How to measure success? 40
References 41 4 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
Acronyms
ACM: Asbestos Contaminated Material PEF: Processed Engineered Fuel ACT: Australian Capital Territory RENEW Program: Regional Networks for AMP: Asset Management Plan Effective Waste Management Program AWT: Alternative Waste Treatment REROC: Riverina Eastern Regional CDS: Container Deposit Scheme (of Organisation of Councils NSW Government) RID Squads: Regional Illegal Dumping Squads CRC: Community Recycling Centre ROC: Regional Organisation of Councils CRJO: Canberra Region Joint Organisation RRG: Recycling and Resource Group CWF: Compact Waste Facility RRPO: Resource Recovery Project Officer EfW: Energy from Waste RRWG: Resource Recovery Working EO: Executive Officer (of CRJO) Group ENM: Excavated Natural Material RUG: Re-Use Goulburn FOGO: Food Organics Garden Organics RWS: Regional Waste Strategy FTE: Full Time Equivalent SEROC: South East Regional Organisation GDP: Gross Domestic Product of Councils GMAC: General Managers Advisory SERRG: South East Resource Recovery Committee Group GO: Garden Organics SMART Targets: Specific, Measurable, HH: Households Attainable, Relevant and Timely ISJO: Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Targets Organisation SWMS: Safe Work Method Statement JO: Joint Organisation (of Councils) SWMWG: Strategic Waste Management KPI: Key Performance Indicator Working Group KRA: Key Result Area (of NSW SWRWMG: South West Regional Waste WARR Strategy) Management Group LEMP: Landfill Environmental tpa: Tonnes per annum Management Plan TFS: Trans Frontier Shipments LGA: Local Government Area VENM: Virgin Excavated Natural Material LTFP: Long-Term Financial Plans VWG: Voluntary Waste Group LTF: Leachate Treatment Facilities WARR Strategy: Waste Avoidance L-RIP: Regional Litter Plan and Resource Recovery Strategy 2014–21 (of the MCA: Multi Criteria Analysis NSW EPA) MOU: Memorandum of Understanding WLRM: Waste Less, Recycle More MRF: Materials Recovery/Recycling (project funding opportunities) Facility WMAA: Waste Management Association MSW: Municipal Solid Waste of Australia NFP: Not for Profit WtE: Waste to Energy (community organisations) WCS: Wright Corporate Strategy PIRMP: Pollution Incident Response Management Plan CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 5
Letter from the minister
Intro paragraph Insert text when supplied 6 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 7
Foreword
This Canberra Region Joint Organisation way forward. With input and feedback from Regional Waste Strategy updates the both the Joint Organisation’s Resource region’s preceding strategy and has been Recovery Working Group and its Strategic prepared in the context of the NSW Waste Management Working Group it calls Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery for significant improvement in recycling rates Strategy 2014–21 and supporting Regional and diversion of waste from landfill to be Waste Strategy Review Guidelines. Its made through regional collaboration. strategic Actions have been developed Infrastructure development at a regional or in consideration of the region’s current sub-regional level may be impacted by the performance, in particular those of the Australian Capital Territory’s own emerging combined NSW Councils, and prevailing Waste Strategy, and regional requirements policy and regulation at the federal and have been presented as detailed state level. investigations and analysis to be carried The Strategy comprises three documents: out pending delivery of the Territory’s this Strategy, an Action Plan to deliver new Strategy. the Strategy and Technical Appendices to The Strategy’s underlying purpose is that support the Strategy. The Regional Strategy of a road map to guide the long-term comprises seven Themes developed in improvement of regional performance consideration of current performance in through substantial activity and investigation recycling and reducing waste to landfill, over the next five years, followed by the prevailing regulatory and policy consolidation of services thereafter. environment, strategic Objectives, Goals and specific actions to deliver the intended 8 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
Executive summary
A very significant period There now exists very significant pull state recycling targets. With no redress, of transition has occurred and push mechanisms in the NSW waste this gap will likely grow in line with at least in the waste industry industry to drive change. Regional Waste the overall growth rate of the region and Strategies are just one component, which possibly higher still with a strengthening over the last five to ten are facilitated and financially supported by economy. It is suggested the region first years, driven particularly the NSW Environment Protection Authority maximise performance of existing services by environmental (EPA) as a means to achieve quantum change and assets before analysing options for new protection regulation in regional waste management performance. and improved regional infrastructure to deliver continued long-term improvement. and waste policy at a This Strategy has been developed first on state and federal level. the basis of an assessment of opportunity This Regional Waste Strategy (RWS) and During this period three within the Canberra Joint Organisation Action Plan provides detailed Actions within principal themes are (CRJO) region, before re-defining the seven Themes over the next five years for evident: conservation Themes and Objectives of the previous the region to reduce both its recycling gap Strategy and focussing on opportunities and waste to landfill. Broadly, it calls first of resources, increased for quantum increases in both diversion for greater efficiency from existing services recycling and reduced of waste from landfill and recycling. It is (Themes 1, 2 and 7), before recommending waste to landfill; in based on a medium-term, five-year period appraisal and expanding these where particular waste with high to drive more rapid initial change towards viable (Theme 2), reducing litter (Theme organic carbon content. greater recycling and waste diversion 5), reducing illegal dumping (Theme 6) from landfill; particularly for NSW Council and then evaluating new regional services members. The strategic approach adopted with supporting infrastructure to recover/ is in line with the NSW Waste Avoidance recycle/re-use a wider range of resources and Resource Recovery Strategy’s 2021–22 from the waste stream (Themes 3, 4, and targets, and also takes advantage of grant 7). It has been developed with guiding funding available through the state agency’s input from both the Resource Recovery Waste Less, Recycle More program available Working Group (RRWG) and Strategic Waste until 2020–21. Management Working Group (SWMWG) s as a roadmap for change at a Council, Within the region, the ACT generates 80% sub-regional and regional level. The size of of total waste, the balance generated by the ACT and its own commitment to greater the NSW Councils combined. The size of landfill diversion offers the whole region and location of the ACT is very significant considerable strategic opportunity to benefit for the Councils of this region, and its together, and recommendations within the emerging updated Waste Strategy will likely ACT NoWaste’s Waste Feasibility Study: influence infrastructure decisions made. A roadmap to improved resource recovery Of similar significance will be the actions were considered within development of of Bega Valley Shire Council, Eurobodalla this Strategy. Shire Council, Goulburn Mulwaree and Queanbeyan-Palerang, who collectively generate over 67% of the waste from the Joint Organisation’s NSW Councils. An annual recycling gap of ~ 80,000 tonnes/ year amongst the combined NSW Councils exists between current performance and CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 9
1. Overview and introduction
How to use the Joint Organisation Strategy documents Members Three documents make up the Regional Waste NSW full member Councils include Hilltops, Strategy and follow a common structure. Upper Lachlan Shire, Yass Valley, Goulburn The structure used first reviews current Mulwaree, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional, performance, before presenting the strategic Eurobodalla Shire, Snowy Monaro Regional, direction desired and how it will be achieved. Bega Valley Shire Councils and more recently, Wingecarribee Shire Council. The This Strategy document details the genesis ACT became an associate member of the of the project, providing detailed explanation CRJO under terms of a Memorandum of of stages within its development. It is Understanding (MOU) signed in August 2016, expected it will be used to inform the Joint recognising the impact the nation’s capital has Organisation (JO) at a higher level of detail. on the growth and prosperity of the region, The second document, the Action Plan, is whilst Snowy Valleys Council, Wagga Wagga intended for regular use by the Resource City Council and East Gippsland Shire Council Recovery Working Group (RRWG) to deliver are more recent associate members. change. The Action Plan contains detailed Actions with specific Targets and Goals for The region has adopted the phrase ‘Canberra the Councils of the JO region, in particular. Region’, and identifies with sub-regions The third and last document, the Technical branded as city, coast, alpine and tablelands. Appendices, contains much of the raw and The Canberra Region also features a subset calculated data used to develop the Strategy. of its Councils working collaboratively Appendices are presented within numbered with neighbouring Councils outside the sections corresponding to those within this JO, known as the South West Regional Strategy document. Waste Management Group (SWRWMG). All data was collected and provided by the This group comprises JO members Hilltops Resource Recovery Project Officer (RRPO) and Yass Valley Councils, together with of the RRWG based on data supplied neighbouring recently-formed Councils by the member Councils. Full member Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional (from Wingecarribee Council did not supply data, the amalgamation of Cootamundra and although it participates within a Regional Gundagai shires) and Snowy Valleys (from Waste Strategy of the Illawarra Shoalhaven the amalgamation of Tumbarumba and Joint Organisation (ISJO). Associate members, Tumut Shire Councils) of the neighbouring Snowy Valleys Council, Wagga Wagga City Riverina Eastern Regional Organisation of Council and the East Gippsland Shire Council Councils (REROC). The SWRWMG works similarly did not provide data, although collaboratively with commercial entities to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) did. deliver waste collection, waste transport Data from the ACT was included within key and landfilling services within the group’s considerations of current performance, not region. A regional map of group members is least because of its regional dominance and presented in Figure 2. proximity, but at the request of the JO the It is anticipated that the CRJO will proclaimed Strategy clearly focuses on the NSW full on 15 May 2018, after which it will further member Councils. A regional map of members develop its strategic priorities. is provided within Figure 1. 10 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
Figure 1: Canberra Region Joint Organisation of Council’s full members
BATHURST COWRA WEDDON REGIONAL OBERON
WOLLONDILLY
HILLTOPS UPPER LACHLAN SHIRE WINGECARRIBEE
GOULBURN MULWAREE GUNDAGAI YASS VALLEY SHOALHAVEN
QUEANBEYAN-PALERANG ACT REGIONAL
SNOWY VALLEYS
EUROBODALLA
SNOWY MONARO REGIONAL
BEGA VALLEY
Source: CRJO (2018) CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 11
Figure 2: Council members of the South West Regional Waste Management Group
BATHURST COWRA WEDDON REGIONAL OBERON
WOLLONDILLY
YOUNG BOOROWA
UPPER LACHLAN SHIRE COOTAMUNDRA WINGECARRIBEE HARDEN
GOULBURN MULWAREE GUNDAGAI YASS VALLEY SHOALHAVEN
TUMUT QUEANBEYAN-PALERANG ACT REGIONAL
TUMBARUMBA
EUROBODALLA
SNOWY MONARO REGIONAL
BEGA VALLEY
Source: SWRWMG (2017) 12 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
Regional Waste §§ prioritise programs, encouraging Councils to shift from end of pipe to Strategies proactive managers of waste The NSW Government’s 2011 plan, §§ align waste and recycling NSW 2021: A plan to make NSW number programs and infrastructure with one, is a ten-year plan for sustainable funding opportunities. state development and includes targets The EPA also recently extended its for increasing recycling, and reducing Waste Less, Recycle More grant funding litter and illegal dumping across NSW. program to 2021 to support delivery of It has underpinned development of the Regional Strategies. EPA’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery 2014–21 Strategy (WARR Strategy) More recently, Regional Waste Strategies whose key areas include support for have started to explore and consider the investment in much-needed recycling benefits of: infrastructure, encouragement of innovation §§ engaging the regional community to and improvement of recycling behaviour, achieve change – awareness/education development of new markets for recycled of both the business and domestic materials and a reduction in litter and communities essential for greater illegal dumping. source separation In NSW, Regional Organisations of Council §§ shared, regional contracting (ROCs) and now JOs are the most common §§ ownership (sovereignty) of waste and form of collaborative multi‐purpose localised materials transformation arrangement among NSW Councils. §§ greater integration with not-for-profit Evidence suggests Council groups are (NFP) community organisations and seeking to ‘…increase their capacity in groups – Materials Recovery Facilities operational shared services areas. The potential (MRFs), transfer station waste sorting to expand this role was implicit in the reference programs and managing tip shops from the Destination 2036 Action Plan, seeking §§ understanding the true cost of to develop options and models to enhance landfilling – linked to landfill diversion collaboration on a regional basis…’1 and operational efficiency (regional To facilitate regional, strategic change in engineered landfills supported local government’s management of waste by a hub and spoke transfer management and resource recovery, the EPA station arrangement) has also identified regional collaboration as §§ a regional voluntary levy on waste critical to achieve quantum change in local disposed to landfill to both further government performance, requesting each incentivise source separation and pay of the state’s voluntary waste groups to for regional waste education develop a Regional Waste Strategy. These §§ sub-regional, centralised Strategies should at least: organics processing. §§ consider growth in population and §§ sub-regional, centralised processing of waste generated/capita, and how commercial and industrial (C&I) waste these put increasing pressure on Council operations and assets – the §§ strategic regional planning – programs of relatively larger member particularly asset management plans Councils can significantly impact (AMP) and long-term financial plans change within a regional approach (LTFP) backed by reliable data
1 NSW Local Government, 2015 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 13
§§ enhancing the role and capabilities recovery outcomes in southern NSW. The of the JO or ROC – development of group is facilitated and coordinated by a regional policy, and increased human RRPO funded by the NSW EPA. The RRPO and financial resources for more reports directly to the JO’s Executive Officer centralised project management and (EO), who updates members on regional implementation waste programs through the General §§ fully understanding structured Managers’ Advisory Committee (GMAC). allocation of risk within service The group is recognised as one of the state’s delivery contracts and the financial Voluntary Waste Groups (VWG) which are benefits that can offer also coordinated by the NSW EPA within its Regional Networks for Effective Waste §§ bundling of services – such as organics Management (RENEW) program. collection and processing.
Local government’s Strategy development management of waste process Wright Corporate Strategy (WCS) started NSW Councils provide waste a series of regional waste management management services within a framework and resource recovery workshops with an of Commonwealth, State and Local appointed SWMWG in 2016, in line with Government policy and legislation. Policy a three-year commitment by the JO to and legislative/regulatory instruments review its existing Regional Waste Strategy. are now driving improved environmental The working group considered the merits performance of waste assets and increased of its former Strategy and developed diversion of waste from landfill. Many additional regional project concepts over a NSW Councils face increasing regulatory twelve-month period within the key result requirements for greater environmental areas of the WARR Strategy framework, also performance of their waste assets, as well as adding its own Theme for greater regional an increasing cost and decreasing availability collaboration and advocacy. The working of replacement void space for landfills. group’s vision was to reduce waste to landfill The RRWG is one of eight working groups and increase recycling rates at a regional of the JO, comprising member Council level within the current national and state waste officers working collaboratively for waste policy context. the betterment of waste and resource 14 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
2. Where are we today?
This section examines Waste Strategies Industry development and support the members’ waste and Councils’ current 1.5 Identify and facilitate market diversion, resource development for materials that are recovery and recycling strategic programs currently sent to landfill 1.6 Establish Government ‘buy-back’ performance, focusing A number of the JO’s members have their schemes for recycled products particularly on waste own waste strategies. Of note, the ACT through procurement commitments production and wishes to further improve diversion of waste (e.g. compost from organics, road from landfill and has recently undertaken recycling rates of bases from crushing of inert waste and a two year, $2.8m feasibility study of the NSW Councils. glass fines) waste management practices, services Supporting data and underpinning policy, licencing, and 1.7 Design modified service contracts for may be found within regulation to underpin further improvement. existing services (e.g. gypsum, glass Appendices 1–15 In May 2018, ACT NoWaste released a fines, crushing inert wastes), repair and of the Technical discussion paper entitled: Waste Feasibility dismantle (e-waste and mattresses), so these materials can be recovered and Appendices document. Study: Roadmap and Recommendations. Given the size of the ACT, the relative proximity repurposed for beneficial reuse of a number of NSW CRJO members to 1.8 Design a modified commercial and it, and ACT NoWaste’s ambitious plan industrial (C&I) waste service to allow to divert up to 87% of the Territory’s source-separated (e.g. recyclables, total waste generation by increasing organics and residual) waste for waste processing and resource recovery improved processing outcomes infrastructure, in particular, a summary of 1.9 Design and establish improved advisory the recommendations from the Feasibility services to businesses around the ACT Study are provided below: regarding how they can reduce their waste to landfill and save costs GROUP 1 – ROADMAP RECOMMENDATIONS Energy from waste
Diverting organics from landfill 1.10 Develop a waste-to-energy policy for the ACT 1.1 Undertake a food waste reduction 1.11 Investigate the establishment of a and recovery social marketing and process engineered fuel (PEF) plant in education campaign for households the ACT and businesses 1.2 Provide ongoing participation and support to the national food waste initiatives 1.3 Implement a kerbside food and garden organics (FOGO) collection service aligned with the existing green bin roll-out program 1.4 Identify a site and establish an organics processing facility to process both food and garden organics CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 15
GROUP 2 – FURTHER engineered fuel plant to drive greater recovery RECOMMENDATIONS from waste current residual waste, and the formulation of policy to support these. The study’s second group of recommendations are more general The following NSW Council members report initiatives. The document recommends these the following strategic programs underway be implemented to facilitate integration with within their LGAs: existing waste management operations: §§ Bega Valley Shire Council – finalisation 2.1 Continue implementing regulatory of a new waste strategy, including reforms under the Waste new kerbside FOGO and construction Management and Resource Recovery and demolition (C&D) processing Act 2016 including: facilities, waste site rationalisation a. improved data gathering capability and greater local sorting and materials transformation capabilities b. identification and development of necessary regulatory interventions §§ Eurobodalla Shire – reviewing their for the commercial sector through current waste strategy social market research and §§ Goulburn Mulwaree – transform regulatory impact assessments. Goulburn Waste Management Centre 2.2 Continue to explore product into a recycling and reuse hub called stewardship possibilities for various Re-Use Goulburn (RUG), currently challenging waste streams in the design phase, and increasing kerbside organics collection and local 2.3 Periodically review the Development processing capability to provide a Control Code for Best Practice Waste service to all households receiving a Management in the ACT to ensure kerbside service desired waste management and performance outcomes are achieved §§ Hilltops – developing a new waste for multi-unit developments strategy 2.4 Augment existing education efforts §§ Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional – by designing and implementing an replacing the existing garden organics education and marketing behavioural (GO) kerbside collection with a FOGO change campaign to reduce the service within the former Queanbeyan quantity of recyclables ending up in City Council LGA kerbside residual bins §§ Snowy Monaro Regional – expanding 2.5 Develop an integrated long-term kerbside collection services strategic/spatial plan for waste §§ Wingecarribee – finalising its Waste service delivery infrastructure (e.g. Strategy 2017–2024, with a focus transfer stations) and their locations/ on removing greater organics at the co-locations, using the principle of kerbside best use of land in triple bottom line §§ Upper Lachlan Shire – starting a new assessments to determine and meet kerbside GO service in September 2018 future needs and changes and will consider upgrading it later to a 2.6 Update the ACT Waste Management FOGO service. Council will also review Strategy 2011–2025 to maintain transfer station service levels, including currency and alignment with new recycling, in June 2018 knowledge Member Councils either updating or Of particular note is the ACT’s ambition to developing new waste strategies are build new food organics garden organics encouraged to follow the themes of the (FOGO) processing infrastructure and WARR Strategy, which will also permit closer investigate the establishment of a process integration with this regional strategy. 16 CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023
Waste and resource better understand more consistent waste flows, all soils have not been included in recovery data a calculation of recycling rates within this Strategy. This position also supports a Waste data provided by the NSW Councils general held concept that for waste to be and the ACT for this Strategy have recycled, it must leave site. Soils other than fundamental differences. NSW Councils VENM may however be included within reported data for only waste and recycling separate calculations of recovery rates, managed overall by them, whereas ACT data recognising the beneficial use soils play is the sum of all activities in the Territory in landfill structural and site amelioration where data is obtainable. This has the civil works, removing or lessening the relative effect of skewing upwards the ACT’s requirement for imported material. performance in relation to that of the NSW Councils where commercial resource recovery Waste data reported within this Strategy and recycling programs are in operation. follows the three principal streams: domestic or municipal solid waste (MSW), In addition, the relative size of the ACT C&I waste and C&D waste. The region in comparison to the NSW Councils also generated 1,152,821 tonnes of waste in significantly impacts outcomes from the FY 2016–17, with approximately 60% manipulation of combined regional data, whilst of all waste received recycled. Of this total, the different classification of waste streams domestic/MSW was the highest source of to NSW meant certain estimates for ACT waste (Figure 3). recycling rates were required to be made2. The highest composition of waste disposed to A comment also needs to be made about landfill was MSW/domestic waste, comprising data concerning receival and management 57% of the total 464,466 tonnes disposed of soil and soil materials reported in a across the region. An additional 51,650 tonnes differing fashion by the JO members. The of ‘clean soil’ was also reported for period ACT currently receives ~40,000 tpa of and variously managed by members (VENM contaminated soils at its West Belconnen and ENM – principally 31,588 tonnes from facility for onsite rehabilitation, and whilst Goulburn Mulwaree, 10,405 tonnes from these soils are not included within their Snowy Monaro Regional and 8,852 tonnes waste diversion calculations, this practice from Bega Valley Shire Councils in 2016–17). is expected to stop by the end of 2018 when the site closes. Some NSW Councils The ACT alone generated 922,520 tonnes reported Virgin Excavated Natural Material of waste in this period, or ~80% of all waste (VENM) and Excavated Natural Material generated within the region in FY 2016–17. (ENM) as well as other general soils products The NSW Councils combined managed within their construction and demolition 230,301 tonnes of waste in the same period waste streams, whilst others only reported (reported as approximately 1 tonne/year soil materials. It is unknown if the latter were generated per capita). Domestic/MSW was in fact VENM but not managed as such. In again the highest source of waste, comprising addition, those Councils receiving significant 64% of the waste stream managed by the quantities of soil acknowledged receival is Councils combined (Figure 4). linked to required use onsite more than its Amongst the NSW Councils, only 37% of generation within region, and that quantities waste received was recycled. Interestingly, received can vary significantly year-to-year. MSW constituted both the greatest amount VENM is not recognised as a waste by of waste recycled (almost 80% of the 84,657 the NSW EPA and as such is not included tonnes recycled) and waste landfilled (55% of within its calculations of waste generation the 144,466 tonnes disposed), representing or recycling rates. For purposes of trying to significant opportunity for improvement (Appendices 6, 13, 14 and 15). 2 Wright Corporate Strategy obtained data for the ACT from the JO, seeking clarifications directly with the ACT’s Transport Canberra and City Services CANBERRA REGION JOINT ORGANISATION | REGIONAL WASTE STRATEGY 2018–2023 17
Figure 3: Composition of waste managed by members within Kerbside collection the CRJO region: 2016–17 services and audit data