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Issue: Waste in Tumut Shire
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Implications |
Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved | See also: | Water use and allocation | Landuse and management | Assessment
Progress towards achieving the NSW Government target for waste minimisation has not been made during the reporting period. In fact estimated annual waste to landfill has increased by about 1500 tonnes, the change being in the household and commercial waste streams. However, during the same period, the amount of materials recycled within the Shire has increased slightly Approximately 2200 tonnes were diverted from landfill by way of recycling drop-off facilities. Tumut Shire Council has no current waste reduction strategy or management plan, but has joined the South West Region Waste Management Group of seven Councils. Plans are in preparation for disposal of the Group's waste to a single regional site. Landfill currently occupies 20 hectares, a further 47.91 hectares being set aside for future use. Sites have an expected life of 30 years at projected rates. Hazardous waste is generated in the Shire but local landfills are not licensed to receive such materials. Nevertheless, the Tumut Shire Council collected approximately 10 tonnes of asbestos in 1999–2000 and occasional collections are made in the Shire by Contaminated Waste Disposal Services. However, no records are kept of these collections. Most of the 11 potentially contaminated sites have been nominated because they were storage and disposal sites of toxic and hazardous materials. Council has not had the resources to investigate or confirm contamination at those sites. ImplicationsDisposal of waste to a regional site would assist Council in measuring waste to landfill. Better information about hazardous waste and land contamination as a result of waste will place Council in a better position for both waste minimisation and handling of development applications. Recommendations/Objectives to be achieved
BackgroundThe NSW Local Government Act 1993 requires that Councils report on 'waste' in their State of the Environment Reports. NSW State Government has established a target for Local Governments of 60% waste reduction by 2000, based on 1990 levels. For resource reasons, only estimates of waste can yet be made by many Councils in the Australian Capital Region. Interpretation of results must therefore be considered on that basis. The continuing growth of waste together with its environmental impacts is among the most critical problems that nations around the world are faced with today. The problem of solid waste is highlighted in the Bruntland Report (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Agenda 21 (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 1992) recognises the need for strategies and measures to halt and reverse the effects of environmental degradation, in the context of increased national and international efforts to promote sustainable and environmentally sound development in all countries. Sound management of waste was identified as an environmental issue of major concern in maintaining the quality of the Earth's environment. It is widely accepted that for the achievement of sustainability, minimisation of waste generation and maximisation of resource reuse and recycling are essential. Agenda 21 states that environmentally-sound waste management must go beyond the mere safe disposal or recovery of wastes that are generated, and seek to address the root cause of the problem, by attempting to change unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. This implies the application of an integrated approach, which presents a unique opportunity to reconcile development with environmental protection. Different waste categories are solid, liquid and gaseous. In this Issue, only solid waste is considered. Liquid waste is considered in the Issues 'Infrastructure and services' and its effectiveness in 'Water Quality and Ecology'. Gaseous waste is considered in the Issue 'Air Quality'. Hazardous waste is treated differently from solid waste and should not be put into landfill. However, hazardous waste is included in this discussion as a related form of waste, along with any relevant information about land contamination and remediation. Hazardous waste generation/disposal and the processes of land contamination also require attention for their potentially important health implications. Ideally we would include all material and energy inputs into the Region, all outputs (exports) from the Region, and all activities within the Australian Capital Region that use the material and energy inputs and that are responsible for the production of the outputs. These might include: energy, water, nutrients, timber and other construction materials, food, packaging, manufactured goods, waste products and any pollutants. At this stage, however, only the information relating to the Indicators listed below, are considered. Indicators used to assess this issue
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