2021-04-06 Services and Organisation Committee Meeting Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                        6 APRIL 2021


     Maintaining a critical community and public health service to every member of the Noosa
      Community during the global Covid pandemic. This was achieved with no loss in service
      delivery or standard, at a time when waste sites were busier than ever before as many
      residents used the lockdown as an opportunity to have a clean out and dispose of unwanted
      items. The waste team continued to work in close partnership with our contractor Cleanaway
      throughout this period and acknowledge their critical role and continuing standard of service in
      spite of the pandemic.
     The implementation of a mandated garden waste collection service throughout the Shire.
      Noosa is currently the first and only Council in Queensland to have taken this important step
      in waste reduction.
     The implementation of the Queensland Government Waste Levy. There has been significant
      additional administration involved in accounting for the waste streams, maintaining
      transactions, collecting the levy fees and reporting to the Queensland Government. This work
      been absorbed within the small Waste team. The Waste Section currently collects and
      redistributes well over 3 million dollars in levy revenue each year.
     The landfill is Council’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. ZEN targets set by Noosa
      Council present major challenges and opportunities for the Waste Section to reduce organic
      waste to landfill and optimise methane capture from waste already deposited over recent
      decades.
     The long term Manager of the Waste Section (43 years) retired in late 2020.
Long Term Strategy
The Waste Section is in the process of drafting a long-term strategy for waste management in Noosa.
This is being done in collaboration with one of Australia’s leading consultants in the waste field, Mike
Ritchie and Associates. Over the next six months the following work will be completed:
     Two Council workshops and a detailed options report on the future delivery of bulk waste
      ‘Kerbside’ collection will be provided for Council consideration.
     The community and key stakeholders will be engaged and consulted with during the production
      of a draft strategy to manage waste in Noosa over the next 10-20 years. The strategy will
      consider:
      o     The circular economy and optimising waste reduction and recycling.
      o     Meeting Council’s ZEN targets
      o     Future collection service options
      o     Organic waste collection and processing
      o     Optimising the Eumundi Road facility to become a regional resource recovery hub
      o     Waste education and behaviour change within the community
     Workshops will be conducted with Councillor and key staff on the waste strategy and the
      outcomes of the community engagement
The finalised strategy will be presented to Council for consideration and endorsement.

Previous Council Consideration
The Waste Section generally provides a six monthly update report to Council on the activities of the
Waste Section.

Risks & Opportunities
The Waste sector is currently facing significant challenges and the need for change, brought about
by:
    Bans on exporting waste overseas
    Increased focus on waste management from the public
    State and federal government waste reduction and recycling targets
    Emission reduction targets set locally and internationally
    Escalating landfill levies
    Reduction in available landfill space

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