2020-05-12 Services & Organisation Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      12 MAY 2020


Future landfill development
    In 2018 Noosa Shire Council engaged ATC Williams to undertake conceptual design of the
      future landfill Cells 2.3 & 2.4. This process identified the importance of Master Planning of
      the entire landfill to ensure adequate space could be provided for associated and future
      infrastructure and site operations. The outcomes of the Master Planning investigations has
      identified that a change in ultimate landform is necessary, and has indicated that the
      construction of proposed Cell 2.4 in the short term is not necessary. As a result the Waste
      Section has taken the initiative to acquire a designated Council Project Officer to oversee the
      delivery of the Landfill design and construction.
    In order to set a defined pathway forward Council Officers and ATC Williams been provided
      with additional plans showing airspace modelling and development sequencing. The
      development sequencing is based on the material site balance, airspace modelling
      requirements, stormwater management requirements and capping (leachate production)
      requirements. Leachate, waste-water and gas collection infrastructure continue to be the
      main focus areas that are considered to be the key planning considerations for future site
      and cell development.
Regional waste strategy
The Waste Manager and Waste Coordinator are representing Noosa Council on a Project Control
Group overseeing a project on the feasibility of regional waste management solutions. The regional
group includes senior officers from Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Councils and Unitywater. An
initial report from the consultant engaged to conduct the feasibility study was presented, but action
deferred pending the Council elections in March 2020.
Officers have also attended the WBBROC group to discuss advanced waste disposal options
available within that region, which might provide a significant advantage to Noosa Council.
Charging structure – Commercial waste
Waste officers worked with officers from the Finance Branch on the restructuring of commercial
waste charges and this was implemented in July 2019. A special waste charge was implemented
for the Peregian shops as they are provided with communal bulk waste and recycling disposal bins.
This communal facility prevented charging each shop for the number of services they used.
Waste Levy
In July 2019 the Queensland Government introduced a $75-per-tonne levy on waste disposed of
to landfill. The Queensland Government has committed to ensuring that the introduction of the
levy will have no direct impact on households. To deliver this scenario, the State made a prior lump
sum payment to Councils to offset the levy cost to households. Government promised the levy
should not impact householders’ rates, or charges at the landfill gate. However, businesses did
incur the waste levy. For businesses to minimise paying the levy, they will need to reduce their
waste generation and recycle as much as possible.
Some waste material is exempt from the levy, such as waste produced from declared natural
disasters. It was also proposed that application for exemptions or discounts can be made for some
categories of waste such as waste dumped by charities and residual wastes from recycling
processes.
The Waste Section worked with senior officers of the Finance and Rates Sections of Council on
how the levy is administered and costs recovered. The Waste Section is also working with officers
of the Queensland Government to ensure that Council’s waste facilities and systems meet the new
standards for administering the levy and accounting for all waste that is landfilled or recovered.
Council was required to make application to the Queensland Government for approval of the
existing landfill and resource recovery areas prior to 30 June 2019 to comply with obligations
imposed under the Waste Levy legislation. The application process requires Council to submit
volumetric details of landfill capacity used each year and remaining stockpiles of recyclable


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