Media Release: Council Invite Community to Weigh in on Waste

COUNCIL INVITE COMMUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON WASTE

The Blue Mountains has achieved an impressive 37% reduction in waste to landfill in the last decade but the total amount of waste generated per person is continuing to increase. Blue Mountains City Council's draft Waste Strategy, on public exhibition for comment from Friday 1 August, considers how Council and the community can reduce waste generation and divert even more waste from going to landfill.

Mayor, Cr Mark Greenhill, said, "Council's draft Waste Strategy is the next step in our journey to continually improve the performance of Council's waste service, particularly resource recovery.

Council and the community have achieved considerable success in reducing the waste sent to landfill and improving waste services. Our combined efforts have resulted in the lifespan of the Blaxland landfill being extended by a further 7 years from 2023 until 2030 (at current waste generation rates)."

"But there is more to do", said the Mayor, "with over 40,000 tonnes of mixed waste from our homes and businesses still going into our landfill each year, the Blue Mountains community still needs a long-term, sustainable and affordable waste management solution." 

The draft Waste Strategy guides the next phase of waste management in the City, supported by strong evidence, including extensive community consultation and technical research. It sets out a way for the community to further reduce waste buried at its landfill by continuing to improve waste avoidance and recycling rates in the short term.  A particular issue which the Draft Waste Strategy seeks to address, and which has been prominent in the community’s commentary on waste, is how we manage household waste into the future, in particular organic (green) waste.

The Mayor said, "In developing the draft Waste Strategy, household organic waste has been given particular  ttention. Several options for dealing with this issue are presented in the Strategy for public comment, including the
introduction of a Green Bin service. Each of the options have their own costs and challenges which have been closely examined with best value for money in mind. The affordability of waste services is important as Council and the community also consider options for resourcing our future, also on public exhibition for
community feedback.

Further, the draft Waste Strategy proposes options to manage more waste at-home, recover more from bulky waste and household garbage, offer more recycling facilities at Blaxland WMF, more opportunities for hazardous waste collection, and consider a more regional approach to waste management solutions. This means less food waste at home going to landfill, less construction and business waste to landfill and less illegal dumping in the City."

Residents are invited and encouraged to contribute to the draft Waste Strategy. The easiest way to do this is visit
Council's online community engagement forum www.bluemountainshaveyoursay.com.au or view printed copies at Council's Katoomba office or branch libraries (except Springwood Library).

The Mayor said, "Alongside the draft Waste Strategy to manage the City's waste in the short term, Council will continue to consider the pressing issues in the longer term, within a complex and rapidly changing waste management industry." 

Media inquiries: Adrienne Murphy, BMCC Communications (02) 4780 5744 Mob: 0414 195 533