Hunter Regional Waste Strategy Meeting Meeting 11 – 9 December 2014 - Minutes

Attendees

Name Council / Organisation

Michael Neville Hunter Council’s Environment Division

Meredith Laing Hunter Council’s Environment Division

Juliana Cain Hunter Council’s Environment Division

Joann Polsen Council

Tricia Donnelly Cessnock City Council

Michael Alexander Cessnock City Council

Karen Toirkens

Gavin Cooksley City of Newcastle

Paul Minett Dungog Shire Council

Elfi Blackburn Maitland City Council

David Simm Maitland City Council

Emma Penfold

Aaron Malloy Port Stephens Council

Stefanie King Lake Macquarie City Council

Alice Howe Lake Macquarie City Council

Janet Sparrow NSW EPA

Colleen Wong NSW EPA

Apologies

Angelika Hesse

Darren North City of Newcastle

Paul Turri Council

Mark Johnson City of Newcastle

1 | P a g e

Meeting Purpose

The primary purpose of this meeting was to review scheduled WARR Strategy Action Plan progress for the period July to December 2014. Agenda 10:00 – 10:10 1. Welcome, apologies and introductions Michael Neville, HCCREMS 10:10 - 10:30 2. EPA perspective on regional waste strategies Danyelle Carter, NSW EPA 10:30 – 11:00 3. Hunter WARR Strategy implementation Michael Neville, HCCREMS 11:00 – 11:15 4. Waste Education Action Plan Juliana Cain, HCCREMS 11:15 – 12:30 5. Council presentations All Councils 12:30 – 1.30 6. Lunch (30 mins) + Working lunch (30 mins) All Councils 7. WLRM grant updates (R1, R2 and R3) 1:30 – 2:30 8. Collaborative planning session – priorities for All Councils 2015, new or emerging issues, developing more efficient systems for information collection and sharing

Action Log items from meeting

Action Who Date

Minutes provided within one week – as per draft Terms of Regional Complete – Reference Coordinator Monday 15 December

Provide copy of individual council activities to Regional All councils Friday 19 Coordinator re the Strategy Action Plan (July-December December 2014)

Provide feedback on Draft Terms of Reference (Waste All councils Friday 19 Strategy) December

Distribute council data request as per Data Action Plan Regional Friday 19 Coordinator December

Councils return data request information (please advise ASAP All councils Friday 30 January if you require variance to this date) 2015

Provide copy of EPA presentation Regional Complete - Coordinator / included with EPA minutes

Provide copy of Waste Less Recycle More funding timeframes Regional Complete - Coordinator included with

2 | P a g e

minutes

GAP analysis sustainable procurement policies Regional End January 2015 Coordinator (dependant on provision of policies from EPA)

Governance decision making processes – report back from 12 Regional As available December GMAC meeting Coordinator (dependant on availability of minutes)

Wyong Council request to Join Hunter Waste Region - report Regional As available back from 12 December GMAC meeting Coordinator (dependant on availability of minutes)

EPA & Feedback to questions raised about EPA WLRM programs Complete – listed Regional in minutes below Coordinator

Item – NSW EPA presentation on various aspects of Waste Less Recycle More program

The EPA presentation is attached with the minutes. Information on the Local Government Needs Analysis is contained in this presentation. Janet Sparrow provided specific responses to questions from various councils below:

 Representatives on the EPA’s Local Government Education Reference group include:

o Tania Parkinson, Council o Wendy Grant, Midwaste o Narelle Bowly, Council o Leisha Deguara, Local Government NSW. As Leisha’s role is state-wide, the Hunter Councils should feel free to contact her too.

 Waste Less Recycle More grants streams being discussed at the upcoming Environmental Trust meetings:

o December: Community Recycling Centres, Local Government Organics Collection Systems o March (anticipated): Landfill Consolidation, Love Food Hate Waste, Organics Infrastructure Large & Small

 EPA is definitely not waiting on anything further re Lake Macquarie’s intention to take the final draft of the Hunter Strategy to consultation mid next year.

3 | P a g e

 Janet will pass on the questions and concerns around the data return survey, the availability of C&I data, and the weighbridge terms standardisation to the relevant teams.

 Lake Macquarie’s feedback about the latest round of Love Food Hate Waste grants and their decision not to apply because of the reduced proportion of funding that can go towards project management will be fed back to the relevant team. Further consolidated comments can be provided to Janet who will ensure it reaches the relevant teams.

 The summary findings from the Better Waste & Recycling Fund dissemination program: Local Government Needs Assessment will soon be sent around to the Regional Coordinators and research participants. This summary will be provided as it becomes available.

Item – Regional Coordinator - Waste Strategy Action Plan Implementation July to December 2014  Actions allocated to the Regional Coordinator were examined theme by theme  A document summarising actions was provided to all meeting attendees (please advise if you would like a soft copy)  A copy of the relevant PowerPoint presentation is provided with these minutes  Actions arising are listed in the Action Log  Some actions will require further clarification in early 2015  A data request required in the development of the Data Action Plan will be sent to all councils ASAP. Responses are required by 30 January 2015 unless otherwise negotiated. Please advise if you are unable to meet this deadline.  Going forward, during 2015, there will be an enhanced focus on linking individual council actions into consolidated strategic approaches

Item – Hunter WARR Waste Education Action Plan

 The overall regional approach to education was outlined by Juliana.  HWEG is being facilitated by HCED, and will be the primary decision making body in regard to regional education programs. Further detail around governance structures will be provided once the minutes of the GMAC 12 December meeting become available.  Details of the Christmas waste avoidance campaign were discussed.  To view the Christmas TV commercial follow this link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh-MFCg31Ns

Item – Council Presentations

Dungog Shire Council  APC composition audit in October 2014 including recycling  Participation in Regional Scrap tender process  Local Waste Strategy recently adopted – aligned to regional strategy  Plan to send residual waste to SITA (Bedminster) – 2,000 tonnes per annum approx..

4 | P a g e

Port Stephens Council  New SITA waste and recycling contract recently commenced  Increase in community bulk waste drop off days  Now accepting tyres to bulk waste drop off days  Tagging recycling bins for performance, have issued 30 non compliant stickers over the last year  Finding it difficult to communicate the red bin / green waste bin with some residents confused or feel they are missing a service  Have 3 illegal dumping education videos  30% decrease in dumping incidents since they appointed a illegal dumping officer – 30% decrease in costs associated with illegal dumping as they have been successful in pursuing clean up notices  Have showcased illegal dumping strategy to Sydney councils  Recent audit found 45% was recoverable from bulk waste

Lake Macquarie City Council  Increased recycling rates with HRR  CRC is very successful  Big uptake of 360l recycling bins with minimal promotion  Increasing public place recycling  Green waste processing plant approved at Awaba  Yet to be notified if grant was successful for expansion to new facility  Applied for phase 2 funding to support kitchen caddys  Chemical clean outs received 23 tonnes in 6 month period  Programs to support litter include Eco Angles Clean Ups (Levy exempt), Public Place recycling, participation in RID

Dungog Shire Council  Local Waste Strategy endorsed by Council November 2014 – aligned with regional strategy.  Reuse shop is very successful however could be improved with additional funding  Need to confirm pricing structure for reuse shop  Exploring AWT – residual waste will go to SITA - 200 tonnes per year  Applied for CRC grant  Installed surveillance cameras for illegal dumping. Associate RID member. Encouraging local media to raise profile of the issue.

Cessnock City Council  Waste strategy adopted March 2014  Applied for grants for organic bins  Building new landfill with new transfer station, CRC onsite  Bus campaign to promote new 360l recycling bins  Waste bin audit in Spring 2014 found 60% of bin was organic. 15% recycling  No staff to deal with dumping  Strong political support to pursue littering issues, Tidy Towns participant, successful for a roadside littering project  Chemical Clean out event, was the first one in 18 years and collected 10 tonnes (May 2014)  Letter drops most successful method in communicating with community  Recent community survey, again found best success via hard copy communications

Muswellbrook Shire Council

5 | P a g e

 Running ‘lets get it sorted’ campaign that targets women or families with kids  Supporting community garden in Denman with mulch and timber from recycling shop  Review of pricing structure and asbestos to minimise dumping  Industrial Ecology and Bin Trim program with local chamber of commerce  Kerbside audit April 2014?)found green bin with minimal contamination – difficulty with community feedback on process  Regional scrap metal contract participation  Reuse shop manages  Surveillance software at weighbridge used to inform illegal dumping intelligence

City of Newcastle  Small Vehicle Recovery Centre expansion and enhancement at Summerhill  Organics processing facility construction January 2016  Major RR facilities – WLRM R1 unsuccessful, R2 successful  Investigating biomass conversion technology with the Crucible Group – Summerhill aggregator  Development of new landfill cell  Reviewing public place recycling, waste calendars, new trucks and branding and planned education  Audit in April 2014 (APC) – Green waste 2.4% contamination, recycling 5.8% contamination  Schools program – all but 2 x schools, 2000 students, new DVD  Bulk waste service trial  Developing local waste strategy – internal working group Maitland City Council  Early learning program in educational institutions  Bin composition audit (October 2014) noted seasonal differences between April / October, found a increase from 14 to 17kg per household and a increase in contamination levels  Sub-regional organics collection and processing tender scheduled for 6 January 2014  Upgrading to 360 l recycling bins  3 mattress muster events (Landsavers)  Now has free recycling drop off at landfill  Success for 205K litter grant for enclosures and PPR education (posters)  Draft waste strategy on hold  Trialling hot spot illegal dumping surveillance  Applied for CRC funding

Item – Waste Less Recycle More grant updates (tables)

 Tables for Rounds 1 – 3 of WLRM funding applications were filled in manually by attendees. These tables are provided as an attachment.  The tables will be updated quarterly in order to keep an accurate record of overall EPA funding to the region.

Item – Collaborative planning session  Draft Terms of Reference document tabled for consideration and feedback – see Action Log  Governance processes overall (decision making triggers) was discussed by GMAC on 12 December. Relevant sections of the minutes to be distributed as they become available.

6 | P a g e

 Education programs and campaigns to be considered and developed in the context individual council, HRR and EPA  Work on mattress recycling put on hold until clarification of the current HRR tender process is provided by HRR and/or member councils  Wyong Council approach to join Hunter Region was considered by GMAC on 12 December. Relevant sections of the minutes regarding this decision to be distributed as they become available.  More stringent response times to be adopted for information gathering purposes

Next Meeting(s): Future Meeting Schedule: 1. Early in 2015 a full year Waste Strategy Group meeting schedule will be developed – with quarterly meetings (aim for March as first date) 2. Where possible, RID Squad management meetings will be scheduled to dovetail with Strategy Group meetings 3. The schedule for Working Group meetings will be developed separately (this includes HWEG, Data Working Group and other groups if required)

7 | P a g e