2015-04-28 Infrastructure & Services Committee Agenda

INFRASTRUCTURE & SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                28 APRIL 2015


4.     SYSTEMS & PROCESSES

Council’s Environmental Officer has amended the Noosa Landfill’s Environmental Management
Plan (EMP) to account for recent unauthorised methane gas releases identified during routine
monitoring. The issue was reported to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection
which requested that Council take steps to assess the problem and implement a solution.

The subsequent amendment to the EMP now requires ongoing monitoring and assessment of
the affected area of the landfill by the Principal Contractor (Cleanaway) and a management
strategy where any potential issues are identified and dealt with expediently. In order to further
verify that monitoring and management controls are suitable and effective, WMS has purchased
a methane measurement device to be used by staff.

Meetings have been conducted with all major contractors over the last four months to ensure that
contract conditions have been complied with and performance indicators are being met. No
major contractual issues have been identified to date. WMS will undertake routine contract
audits on all contractors over the next quarter.

Environmental and Workplace Health and Safety (WH&S) audits/inspections of waste
management facilities were undertaken in the first quarter of the financial year. Further audits
will be carried out over the next month. This will include a review of all contractors’
Environmental and WH&S management systems.

5.     FUTURE DIRECTION

 It is anticipated that Council’s new waste management strategy ‘Towards Zero Waste”, will
   commence development after the Community Jury recommendations are received and
   reviewed by Council in July. The new strategy will incorporate any proposed changes to
   current services and guide the development of the next waste management contracts. At the
   time of writing the deliberations of the Community Jury are ongoing.
 WMS will be looking into methods to further improve recycling and diversion from landfill in
   accordance with Noosa Council’s Zero Waste Strategy. Contemporary best practice
   indicates that any improvement will be contingent on a suitable and comprehensive public
   engagement and education strategy. To facilitate this a recommendation has been made in
   the budget to employ a waste education officer in the new financial year. The first task for
   this officer would be to draft a public engagement and waste education strategy for Noosa.
 The development of a waste management business continuity plan is to commence shortly in
   conjunction with Council’s Disaster Management Plan.
 WMS will be working with Council’s Environmental Officer to further develop a
   comprehensive ground and surface water quality monitoring and management plan for the
   Noosa Landfill site and surrounds.
 The Waste Coordinator will be working through implementing the recommendations provided
   in the recent Operational Service Review.

Previous Council Consideration

Nil.

Finance & Risk

Refer to Section 1 – Finance. The Manager of Waste and Environmental Health has recently
completed a draft review and update of Waste Management Services’ Risk Management
Program.


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