Waste changes and charges could have major ramifications for city

Waste charges and reporting changes proposed by State agencies could have major ramifications for Broken Hill City Council and residents.

If a proposal to impose a waste and environment levy across the state under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) is accepted it could see additional levies paid by Council of more than $1 million a year.

In a second report, the EPA under its Draft Protection of the Environment Operations (Waste) Regulation 2014 has proposed a number of changes to how landfills operate. This would require Council to record every vehicle going into the depot and its contents while there would be more paperwork associated with reporting of waste materials, where waste has come from and any waste leaving the site for recycling.

Mayor Wincen Cuy said those changes could cost Council up to $240,000 a year in staffing costs alone.

“Certainly we have written to the government expressing our concerns on any expansion of the waste and environment levy. We have also supported a submission to the EPA outlining the ramifications its proposed reporting changes could have on the community.

“There is no doubt we have a responsibility to look at waste management practises at the depot and we have developed our Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2010 - 2030 which outlines key changes to our landfill operations over a 20 year period,” Mayor Cuy said.

“But as a city we are working towards improved waste management at a pace that fits within the community and Council’s budget. These changes certainly disadvantage our Council with a “catch all” approach that is primarily targeted at metropolitan Councils.

“If we are forced to meet the timeframe as proposed by the EPA we will need to seriously consider a reduction in operation hours at the depot. There is also the strong possibility that reduced hours will lead to illegal dumping across the region, something that the community looks to Council to clean up despite dumping occurring on unincorporated land.

“We are hopeful that our submission is taken seriously. We are prepared to make changes to the way we operate. We do realise that waste management is now complex and highly regulated, but consideration must be given to our isolation and our ability to pay.

“The community needs to be aware that there will be future changes to the way the depot is operated, but we would like to see this take place over a period of time, not just slapped onto the community over 12 months.”

For more information visit Broken Hill City Council