Draft Waste Management Strategy - Have your say on waste planning for the next 5 years!

Latest News - February 2017

On 9 February, Council took positive steps towards the introduction of kerbside recycling after adopting the Whitsunday Regional Waste Management Strategy 2017-2021.

Six priority actions have been identified in the Strategy, and after consultation late last year, it was evident that kerbside recycling was the top priority for residents.

The six priority actions identified in the Waste Management Strategy are:

• Addressing rural waste infrastructure services such as increasing wheelie bin collection in rural areas
• Simplifying waste management rates, fees & charges
• Providing kerbside recycling services
• Reducing organic material in our landfills such as green waste
• Developing engineered landfill cells to safely contain waste at the transfer station
• Improving data management and reporting

Public Consultation

Waste management is a vital public health and environmental service that affects each and every member of our community.

At Whitsunday Regional Council, waste management is governed by an overarching framework, called a Waste Management Strategy. This strategy is reviewed every 5 years, to ensure the latest information and technology is incorporated into the planning.

The public consultation period occurred from 19 October to 2 December 2016 (approx. 6 weeks) and during this time Council heard from the public about their views on waste management in the future, and asked some important questions:

Are you passionate about kerbside recycling?

Do you want to a change in the levels of service provided?

Do you think the fee and charges structure needs to be simplified?

Background Information

In the Whitsunday Region, Waste Management services:

•Are responsible for approximately $5.25M of revenue out of Council’s annual $104M total operating revenue (approximately 5%)

•Provide regular employment for approximately 20 people in 6 organisations including Council

•Visit nearly every resident each week and carry out more than 620,000 transactions each year

•Interact with the natural environment in a sensitive World Heritage area

•Carry significant asset and risk implications for Council

It is clear this is a group of services which plays a significant role in Council’s mission to be an innovative, efficient and sustainable organisation. By consulting with the community during the development, Council is aiming to be transparent, have a clear direction and integrate with other key Council services. The purpose of this strategy is to communicate to our community:

• Current levels of service with regards to waste management

• Council’s plan for delivering increased levels of service for waste management services

• Methods to be used to deliver the strategy’s objectives

If you have any questions or would like to provide further information, please contact us at:

Email: info@whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au

Phone: (07) 4945 0200

Post: PO Box, 104 PROSERPINE, QLD 4800 (Address to Manager Waste Services)