Hot Topic Archives: Strategic Waste Managament Plan Information Updates
In the Metropolitan Area - Coordinator: John Davis
DEC Manager Government Programs David Healy and Metropolitan Project Coordinator John Davis met with senior staff and consultants from the Western, South East Metropolitan and Southern Metropolitan Regional councils during March and April. The meetings considered opportunities for incremental improvements to waste services within the regions, permitted knowledge exchange regarding waste matters and allowed DEC staff to answer questions and clarify DEC process for strategic waste planning across the State.
Regional councils are happily embracing the partnership approach adopted by DEC, and are presently arranging meetings between DEC and individual Local Governments to consider actions at the local level.
Further discussions, with Eastern Metropolitan and Mindarie Regional Councils, are planned in coming weeks.
In the Southern Regions - Coordinator: Cathy Campbell
I can tell you that the Augusta-Margaret River Shire was presented with the proposed Strategic Waste Management Plan last Wednesday afternoon 8th April. The presentation was made by Brendan Mohr, Manager of Waste Management Services for the Shire.
I can also tell you the SWMP for the Shire of Busselton is complete and it is hoped that the plan will be presented to Council before the end of this month.
Event management is one area that LGs have the opportunity to include in their plan. Tonight, a presentation will be given in Bunbury regarding event management at February’s Southbound Festival. I will let you know how it goes and should be able to provide something about that.
Geraldton Greenough Waste Management Plan Workshop - Coordinator: Raymond York
The Geraldton-Greenough Regional Group of local governments involved in preparing the Strategic Waste Management plan met with officers from CardnoBSD over three days in early April.
They visited regional landfills and waste management infrastructures as well as participating in a one day workshop. A workshop was convened so that all members could provide input into the Draft Waste Management Plan.
CardnoBSD will include comments from the workshop in the draft plan which will be released for public comment. DEC Eastern Regional Coordinator, Raymond York, who was part of the group, said “this was the first time all regional council officers were discussing waste issues relevant to their region and looked forward to the draft plan being released for public comment.”
In the Northern Regions - Coordinator: Alistair Bain
The vast distances and low population densities in Western Australia’s remote north require strong partnerships and a high level of coordination and collaboration to manage waste issues on a regional scale.
Recent developments have included the formation of a Kimberley grouping of local governments comprising the Shires of Broome, Derby -West Kimberley and Halls Creek, working together to develop a regional Strategic Waste Management Plan.
The Pilbara Regional Council and its member local governments continue to work towards implementing a range of regional projects identified in the Pilbara Regional Waste Management Plan, including the anticipated employment of a Regional Recycling Coordinator.
There has also been significant developments further south, with the Shire of Cue recently joining an established regional grouping comprising the Shires of Yalgoo, Meekatharra, Mt Magnet, Sandstone and Wiluna. There have also been further progress in the Gascoyne region, where not only is a regional Strategic Waste Management Plan nearing completion, but a series regional waste audits are scheduled for early September. The data collected by these audits will be central to managing and planning for future waste and recycling projects in the region.
