Balonne Shire Council Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan - 2018 Prepared by: U-Rent Pty Ltd January 2018 From the Mayor The Balonne Shire Council is serious about reducing our waste and this plan will guide how we are able to achieve that objective as a community. Local Government Authorities across the state are all working to ensure landfills are sustainable and that they meet the required standard under the Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011. Our landfills have a finite life and it is through data collection and planning that we will be able to ensure our communities understand what waste we have and how it will be managed into the future. This Plan and the data we collect will aid Council in planning how to maximise the use and life of our landfills and reduce waste. With our limited rate base, it is essential that we maximise the life of our landfills and yet continue to provide adequate services to our communities. The Balonne Shire Council takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and we look forward to ensuring our Shire has an effective and efficient waste service and landfills. Cr Richard Marsh Mayor Balonne Shire Council Executive Summary The Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (the Act) requires local governments to develop a Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan. The aim of this plan is to fulfil Council’s obligations under the Act through the implementation of efficient and effective waste management practices within the council area. Council faces a number of key challenges generally and in managing waste moving forward, including: • A general lack of data around waste management; • A limited rate base covering a large area; and • Changes to the management of water in Australia having an impact on established business and industry profiles in the region. This Plan has been developed with a focus on Council developing robust data and information systems around its management of waste in order to allow it to make robust and informed decisions which result in appropriately targeted actions to improve the management of waste in the region. The vision for this plan is: To develop and implement an evidence-based approach for socially responsible continuous improvement in the management of waste as a resource. Council has a number of key objectives for improving waste reduction and recycling in the region. These objectives respond to the key challenges for the Balonne Shire Council in achieving its and the State’s waste management objectives. Objective 1 - Data: Prepare an overarching data management system and processes which includes ongoing measurement and monitoring to allow for continual improvement. Objective 2 – Landfill management: Develop a plan for the operation and closure of all landfill facilities. Objective 3 - Targets: Develop targets for key waste streams that relate to the Balonne context. Objective 4 - Interventions: Develop programs and interventions to achieve key targets. Objective 5 - Education: Develop and implement a public education and awareness program across a range of community and industry groups to minimise waste and maximise resource recovery. Objective 6 – Financial sustainability: Develop an overarching financial and business model that results in a sustainable and robust management structure which allows transparency in forward planning of waste management. The Plan will be reviewed at least every three (3) years and recognises that the first period (up until 2020) will be focused on Council obtaining appropriate information to allow it to better manage waste into the future in accordance with a continual improvement philosophy summarised in the figure below. Gather data Make adjustments Set targets Develop intervention Monitor/Measure and progams This approach allows Council to implement the Plan and to gather and develop the systems and data it will need moving forward in order to manage waste in a planned and informed manner. Table of Contents 1 1. INTRODUCTION 6 1.1. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN 6 1.2. REQUIREMENT FOR A WASTE REDUCTION AND RECYCLING PLAN 6 1.3. VISION 6 1.4. KEY CHALLENGES FACING THE BALONNE REGION 6 1.5. HOW THE PLAN WAS DEVELOPED? 7 1.6. DELIVERY OF THE PLAN 7 1.7. HOW PERFORMANCE OF THE PLAN WILL BE REPORTED? 7 2. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK 8 2.1. WASTE REDUCTION & RECYCLING ACT 2011 8 2.2. NATIONAL WASTE POLICY 8 2.3. QUEENSLAND’S WASTE AVOIDANCE AND RESOURCE PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGY 2014 - 2024 9 2.4. OTHER KEY LEGISLATION 11 3. OUR COMMUNITY 12 3.1. COMMUNITY PROFILE 12 3.2. POPULATION AND HOUSEHOLD GROWTH 12 3.3. COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 12 4. WASTE MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES 14 4.1. SERVICES 14 4.1.1. CURRENT KERBSIDE COLLECTION SERVICES 14 4.2. FACILITIES 15 4.2.1. LANDFILL DISPOSAL 15 4.2.2. MANAGEMENT OF LEGACY LANDFILLS 16 5. WASTE CHARACTERISTICS AND PROJECTIONS 17 5.1. WASTE GENERATED AND COMPOSITION 17 5.2. LANDFILL CAPACITY 17 5.3. ILLEGAL WASTE DUMPING 17 6. WASTE REDUCTION TARGETS 19 7. WASTE MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND ACTIONS 20 7.1. STRATEGIC ACTIONS 20 8. CONSULTATION 22 9. REVIEW 23 1. Introduction Council’s Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan (the Plan) has been prepared in accordance with the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (the Act) and the Waste Reduction and Recycling Regulation 2011 (the Regulation). This plan sets out the Council’s intentions for managing waste and waste reduction and recycling in the region for the next 10 years. While the plan has been prepared with a 10-year horizon it will be reviewed in three (3) years in accordance with the Act. Significant changes in Council’s waste reduction and recycling needs, legislative requirements, technological advances and community needs may trigger additional reviews as required. 1.1. Purpose of the Plan The purpose of the plan is to provide Council and the community with the information required to effectively and efficiently undertake waste management in the Balonne Shire Council area in a manner that minimises environmental, economic and social impacts and meets the reasonable expectations of the community as well as legislative requirements. The plan complies with the Act and Regulation. The targets for waste reduction and recycling as well as the actions to be taken to improve waste reduction and recycling are contained in this document. 1.2. Requirement for a Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan A key requirement of the Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011 (WRRA 2011) is an obligation for local governments to prepare waste management plans, known as Waste Reduction and Recycling Plans (WRRP). A WRRP needs to set out actions for managing waste in local government areas in a way that best achieves the objects of the Act. 1.3. Vision The development of Council’s long term vision for waste management is underpinned by two fundamental points: • recognition that landfill airspace is not an infinite resource and the need to manage Council’s remaining landfill capacity in a sustainable manner; and • acceptance of the waste hierarchy, with recognition of the principles of waste avoidance, reuse and recovery wherever practicable. The vision for this plan is: To develop and implement an evidence-based approach for socially responsible continuous improvement in the management of waste as a resource. 1.4. Key challenges facing the Balonne region Council faces a number of key challenges generally and in managing waste moving forward, including: • A general lack of data around waste management; • A limited rate base covering a large area; and • Changes to the management of water in Australia having an impact on established business and industry profiles in the region. This Plan has been developed with a focus on Council developing robust data and information systems around its management of waste in order to allow it to make robust and informed decisions which result in appropriately targeted actions to improve the management of waste in the region. This approach allows Council to set its targets and interventions based on realistic and achievable measures which are relevant in the Balonne context. 1.5. How the plan was developed? This document was developed internally by Council, and went through a period of internal and external consultation with relevant stakeholders and the broader community. Following community consultation, this plan will be adopted by Council. 1.6. Delivery of the plan The Plan will be delivered in phases which will build on previous work and result in a continuous improvement of waste management processes over time. The key phases will include: • Gather - provide for the development of an evidence base to allow for the appropriate management of waste and resources by: o putting in place the management structure to allow us to confirm our current status; and o setting in place ongoing management structures to allow the ongoing measurement of performance which allow us to accurately plan our management of waste and resources; o set the framework for which an evidence base can be used to set realistic targets for the Balonne Shire Council; • Set – set targets which are relative and achievable in the Balonne context; • Develop programs – develop the programs and interventions, including education to achieve the desired targets; • Monitor – ensure that ongoing performance is measured and monitored to allow for the evaluation of programs and interventions to allow for continual improvement. 1.7. How performance of the plan will be reported? Performance against this plan will be reported through Council’s Operational Planning processes with an annual report on its implementation to Council. In accordance with the requirements of the Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011, an annual report will also be submitted to the Queensland Department of Environment & Heritage Protection (DEHP) about the operation of this plan. The report is due within 2 months of the end of each financial year.