Hunter Regional Waste Strategy Meeting 20 August 2013 - Minutes Attendees Name Council / Organisation Lindy Hyam (Chair) Singleton Council Meredith Laing Hunter Councils Environment Division Bradley Nolan Hunter Councils Environment Division Alice Howe Lake Macquarie City Council David Simm Maitland City Council Michael Alexander Cessnock City Council Leisa Parsons Singleton Council Aaron Malloy Port Stephens Council Paul Turri Upper Hunter Shire Council Alan Fletcher Upper Hunter Shire Council Paul Minett Dungog Shire Council Darren North City of Newcastle Warwick Randall Muswellbrook Shire Council Neil Pope Muswellbrook Shire Council Gavin Cooksley City of Newcastle Roger Lewis Hunter Resource Recovery (HRR) Apologies: Kylie Watkins Muswellbrook Shire Council Joann Williams Muswellbrook Shire Council Action Items from April meeting The initial regional waste strategy meeting held in April 2013 identified a number of tasks to be undertaken. Details of these actions and activities that have occurred since are summarised below. Meeting Action Progress Hunter Councils Environment Division GMAC has approved HCED to facilitate the development to be approached to facilitate Strategic of a regional waste strategy that includes the following Plan councils: Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Port Stephens, Singleton, Upper Hunter. Appoint 3 nominees to participate in Paul Minett (Dungog Shire Council) an Advisory Committee to work with Michael Alexander (Cessnock City Council) HCED Aaron Malloy (Port Stephens Council). All Councils to consider involvement in At the meeting it was noted the following councils were the proposed Regional Illegal Dumping interested in continuing to explore the RID Squad model: (RID)Squad - Lake Macquarie City Council - Singleton Council - Muswellbrook Shire Council - Cessnock City Council - Upper Hunter Shire Council - Maitland City Council - Port Stephens Council Newcastle and Wyong were noted as possibly joining, but could not confirm. Suggestion for the possibility of an Upper Hunter and Lower Hunter RID Squad, with request for Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens Councils to meet and determine which council would be best placed to host the regional coordinator. Similarly Singleton and Muswellbrook Councils were to meet to consider hosting an Upper Hunter RID Squad coordinator. HRR and Port Stephens Council HRR tabled a report that provided summary details of requested to look at opportunities for Product Stewardship Schemes under development by the regional waste strategies on tyres, Federal Government. HRR also noted they are about to textile, bulk cardboard, chemicals commence a trial on collecting Polystyrene. Noted that the EPA funded Drop-off Centre program would be the most appropriate way for councils to manage chemicals and paints. HRR noted that untreated timber is an issue and would require further investigation for possible solutions. HRR further noted they were about to commence a trial in mattress collection and processing. HCED was requested to seek further information on the State and Federal Governments activities on development and implementation of Product Stewardship policies. HCED & Advisory Committee to Questionnaire developed and distributed to councils to develop a comprehensive complete. questionnaire for Councils to Seven questionnaires completed and returned, the complete, to enable the initial regional remaining two (Upper Hunter and Port Stephens) to be planning activity to commence. All competed and returned asap Councils requested to provide information Hunter Waste Educators group be Feedback confirmed that the group are able to be active contacted to review their capacity to on any issue needed. contribute to a regional education program Those Councils with existing plans for Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens Councils nominated facility upgrades or installation to for early “drop off centre” funding and were successful. notify HCED immediately to assist with seeking funding from the EPA Councils to consider their ability to Councils were asked to continue determining if they conduct business waste efficiency would be interested in hosting council officers to audits as part of the EPA funded undertake this work, but acknowledged that until the EPA program. developed the program and determined the activities, it was unclear if the required information and skills were available. This issue will be revisited when more details are available from the EPA. HCED to facilitate the development of Funding application under development and due to EPA a Regional Strategic Plan and seek for evaluation on 26 August 2013. funding for coordinator from the EPA Update on EPA Processes and Programs The HCED Team recently met with Steve Beaman (Director Waste and Resource Recovery) and Molly Tregoning (Unit Head Waste operations) from the EPA, to discuss the formation of a Hunter based RID Squad, and NSW Waste Initiative. RID Squad The HCED team led by Steve Wilson have worked with Councils over the last 18 months on a proposal and business model for the establishment of a RID squad in the region. The final proposal outlined and costed several models, with the preferred approach being the hosting and management of a newly established RID squad by one of the participating Councils. In late 2012 the EPA asked the HCED team to provide an additional proposal for continuing the facilitation of the discussions and development processes in the region. This was completed and submitted to the EPA. At the recent meeting with Steve Beaman, it was confirmed that the EPA remains keen to establish a RID Squad in the region, and funding was now available to progress the issue. (Following the meeting, Steve wrote directly to councils to confirm their interest in seeing a regionally coordinated RID Squad become operational this calendar year). In addition, it was advised that the EPA will, in the coming months, release a newly branded and designed state-wide illegal dumping and litter reduction community campaign that is based on updated criminology studies. The campaign will be designed to enable Councils to utilise the artwork and designs, and brand it with their own logo’s. It is hoped this campaign will dovetail into the progression of a Hunter RID Squad. Regional Waste Strategies During the meeting, the EPA identified their intention to hold four funding rounds each year, to distribute the NSW Waste Initiative money. Indications were that annual funding rounds would commence in September in the following way: Round 1 – Community recycling / drop off centres - Infrastructure grants will assist local Councils build a network of Community Recycling Centres across NSW for householders to drop-off problematic wastes Round 2 – Organics infrastructure and collections - Grants will support local councils introduce new collection systems and community education for garden and food organics – which now make up about half of the average red bin going to landfill Round 3 – Residual waste infrastructure - The Waste and Recycling infrastructure fund to support levy paying communities will commence with grants to support upgrades and enhancements of existing waste and recycling facilities. The grants will increase the capacity of existing infrastructure and assist councils, charities and the private sector invest in new innovative technologies to recycle more materials and send less to landfill Round 4 – Business waste reduction Information received from the EPA on 14 August indicated the first three grant programs are anticipated to be opened in October 2013 by the Environmental Trust. Workshops will be held when the grants are opened – likely to be in October 2013. Further, we have been informally notified that in late 2013 or early 2014, grants are anticipated to open for infrastructure to process garden and food organics and larger scale Waste and Recycling infrastructure to support levy paying communities. Waste Levy Review HCED provided a summary of the outcomes of the KPMG Waste Levy review. A full copy of the summary is included in Attachment 1. During the presentation, the following discussions were held: Recommendation 2 – (Household Organic Waste) the NSW Government should develop an education and community engagement program to support household participation in adopting best practice management systems. The government has allocated $70M to local councils to address this issue (amongst others) Discussion: The group was keen to understand how the EPA was expecting to allocate the $70M over the 4 years, and how the allocation would be calculated to each council. All councils were asked to consider what they would like to see as requirements and send through to HCED Recommendation 4 – (Recycling) Support initiatives and programs to improve the recovery of waste from the commercial and industrial sector. The government has established a $15M recycling innovation fund Discussion: It was noted by the Upper Hunter Councils that mining waste, was in some cases, 60% of all waste to landfill. The lower Hunter Councils noted they were changing their pricing structures to dis-incentivise the deposition of this waste material at their facilities. Singleton Council noted they were attending a mining company meeting and would raise the prospect of developing an industry project to see how this material could be managed and recycled, so as to not be delivered to landfill. Muswellbrook Shire Council indicated their desire to be included in the project. Lower Hunter Councils were