FINAL WASTE PLAN 2023 - 2028 · Report

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING                                            10 OCTOBER 2023


Phase 2 consultation was aimed at gathering additional insights and perspectives on the Draft Waste
Plan itself.

A diverse array of communication channels, including print media, social media platforms, "Your
Say" site, radio broadcast, and physical displays at Council facilities (e.g. libraries, landfill, Council
administration building, Leisure Centre etc) were used to promote and facilitate engagement.

In total, 828 surveys were received over Phases 1 and 2. This figure encompasses 624 surveys
collected during Phase 1 consultation, focusing on community values, and an additional 204 surveys
in Phase 2 consultation, focusing on the Draft Waste Plan. The majority of survey respondents were
Noosa residents with a fairly even distribution of age groups represented.

2. Community Feedback on Draft Waste Plan
There is strong support for the Draft Waste Plan vision and for the waste hierarchy principles of
avoid, reduce, reuse, recycle, and as a last resort – dispose, to be the guiding principles of the Waste
Plan.

   •   “Well thought out Strategy. Good to see a solid Plan in place for changing the way we manage
       waste in Noosa” (Your Say respondent, Sept 2023).

A summary of survey responses relating to the vision and principles is detailed in Table 1 below:

Table 1: Support for the Draft Waste Plan vision and waste hierarchy principles

Question Summary                                                       Yes      No         Neither
                                                                                           support or
                                                                                           oppose
Support for the Draft Waste Plan vision                                63%      25%        12%

Support for the waste hierarchy (avoid, reuse, recycle and             68%      23%        9%
dispose as last resort) to be the guiding principles
of the Draft Waste Plan.

A summary of open-ended responses from respondents that opposed or strongly opposed both the
Draft Waste Plan vision and the waste hierarchy principles included:

   •   Concern about rate increases and waste fee charges.
   •   Request for bulk kerbside collection.
   •   Opposition to a food waste collection service as already composting or feeding food waste
       to poultry.
   •   Believe existing waste operations are working well and don’t want any changes.
   •   Oppose the United Nations and climate change science.
There is strong support for the Waste Plan actions to encourage personal responsibility for items
people no longer want or need, to advocate to reduce waste at the source and to be innovative in
litter prevention. There is also support for the Waste Plan actions to ensure that appropriate
infrastructure and operations are in place to support waste reuse and recycling and to minimise the
use of virgin materials to create new products as well as minimise the cost to the community of
landfilling materials that could be utlised as a resource with potential revenue generation.