KEMPSEY WASTE AND EDUCATION STRATEGY Guiding Principles ... which contains a specific objective, related key ... Waste and Education Strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22—Final Strategy

KEMPSEY WASTE AND EDUCATION STRATEGY 2014-15 TO 2021-22

Waste and Education Strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22—Final Strategy

Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd-ABN 76 104 485 289

f:\infrastructure\waste\waste and education strategy\appendix b - item 3 - waste and education strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22 final.docx

Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd

ABN 76 104 485 289

Level 16, 31 Queen Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

Australia

Tel: +61 3 8623 4000

Fax: +61 3 8623 4111

www.hyderconsulting.com

KEMPSEY SHIRE COUNCIL

WASTE AND EDUCATION STRATEGY 2014-15 TO 2021-22

Final Strategy

Author

Charlotte Wesley, Sara-

Rose Pogson, Tanya

Rajaratnam, Janelle

Booth, Warren Burgess

Checker Matt Genever

Approver Matt Genever

Report No AA006543-R03-02

Date 24 November 2014

This report has been prepared for Kempsey Shire Council in

accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment for

Waste and Education Strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22 dated 18

November 2014. Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd (ABN 76 104 485

289) cannot accept any responsibility for any use of or

reliance on the contents of this report by any third party.


Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd-ABN 76 104 485 289 Page i


CONTENTS

1 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................... 3

Preamble ........................................................................................................................................... 3 1.1

2 Action Plans ................................................................................................................................... 6

3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 19

Need For This Strategy.................................................................................................................... 19 3.1

Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................................ 22 3.2

4 Where Are We Now? ................................................................................................................... 23

Kempsey’s People and Economy .................................................................................................... 23 4.1

How Do We Perform Against Industry Benchmarks ........................................................................ 23 4.2

Where Does Our Waste Come From? ............................................................................................. 25 4.3

Recovery of Waste .......................................................................................................................... 29 4.4

Kerbside Bin Services ..................................................................................................................... 30 4.5

Where Does The Waste Go? ........................................................................................................... 31 4.6

5 Where Do We Want To be? ........................................................................................................ 34

Avoid and Reduce Waste ................................................................................................................ 35 5.1

Increase Recovery of Waste ............................................................................................................ 37 5.2

Improve Problem Waste Management ............................................................................................ 38 5.3

Reduce Litter and Illegal Dumping ................................................................................................... 39 5.4

6 Tracking Our Progress ................................................................................................................ 41

APPENDICES

Appendix A

Appendix B

Appendix C

Measurement of progress against targets

Detailed Policy Context

Options Analysis


Hyder Consulting Pty Ltd-ABN 76 104 485 289 Page 2


Definitions

Term Definition

BWRF Better Waste Recycling Fund – The EPA returns a proportion of the waste levy

payments Council submits based on population size.

Commercial and

Industrial Waste

(C&I)

Solid waste generated by businesses, industries (including shopping centres,

restaurants and offices) and institutions (such as schools, hospitals and

government offices), but not C&D waste or MSW

Construction and

Demolition Waste

(C&D)

Solid waste sourced from construction and demolition works, including building

and demolition waste, asphalt waste and excavated natural material.

Gate Fee (or tipping

fee)

The charge to bury or process a given quantity/type of waste material when

received for disposal at a designated waste management facility.

FOGO Food Organics and Garden Organics

Landfill A State regulated local waste disposal site designed for proper disposal of solid

wastes into managed land filled areas.

Materials recovery

facility (MRF)

A materials recovery facility is a specialised plant that receives, separates and

prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-users.

Municipal Solid

Waste (MSW)

Solid waste from households and local government operations, including waste

placed at the kerbside for local council collection and waste collected by councils

from municipal parks and gardens, street sweepings, council engineering works

and public council bins

Problem Wastes

Problem wastes can include e-waste, paint, batteries, smoke detectors,

fluorescent lamps, gas bottles and fire extinguishers, motor oils and fluids, and

other toxic and hazardous household products.

Recovery A process that extracts materials or energy from the waste stream.

Recovery rate Solid waste recycled and recovered for energy (net of contaminants/residuals) as

a proportion of waste generation.

Recycling A set of processes (including biological) that converts solid waste into useful

materials or products, net of contaminants/residuals disposed.

Recycling rate Solid waste recycled (net of contaminants/residuals) as a proportion of waste

generation.




1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PREAMBLE 1.1

Growing costs of disposing waste to landfill, coupled with increasing community concern about

conservation of resources, greenhouse gas emissions, environmental pollution and costs of

living, have driven the need for Kempsey Shire Council (KSC) to seriously consider the future

direction for waste minimisation and management within Kempsey Shire.

This Waste and Education Strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22 (“this Strategy”) is a vision for the

minimisation of waste, recovery of waste, and better waste management services within

Kempsey to promote economic sustainability in conjunction with positive environmental and

social outcomes. It describes a number of areas in which KSC plans to take definitive steps

towards keeping waste management affordable whilst delivering better waste services and

infrastructure and encouraging the community to adopt more environmentally sustainable

behaviours.

This Strategy is based on the requirements placed on local governments by the NSW State

Government (as contained in the NSW Draft Waste and Resource Recovery (WARR) Strategy

2013-21) and has been developed to synergistically benefit from the Midwaste Regional Waste

Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2014-21, which outlines the Mid North Coast’s

strategic response to the NSW Draft WARR Strategy. Aligning this Strategy with the State and

regional WARR strategies provides KSC with greater potential to gain contestable Waste Less,

Recycle More funding and take advantage of regional collaboration to best meet the ambitious

State targets. However, whilst consistent with the overall direction of the broader strategies, it is

important to note that the KSC Strategy is tailored to address unique local issues and

challenges, and focusses strongly on identifying and delivering solutions from the local level up.

The Macleay Valley 2036 Community Strategic Plan details the driving goals which shape the

actions and outputs desired by the community for the future. The 2013-2017 Delivery Program

lists the program item “Minimise Impacts Of Waste & Safely Dispose Of Waste Products” under

the primary strategy;

HS-04 Restore damaged environments and removal of environmental threats

The program has linkages to the secondary strategies of;

HS-05 Use planning controls to ensure that environmental impacts do not negatively

affect lifestyle

HS-06 Minimise risk to community’s health

WS-05 Increasing value of production

SOS-03 Include social behaviour as part of education

To measure performance against the objectives in the Community Strategic Plan & Delivery

Program, KSC plans to achieve the following overarching key performance indicator (KPI)

targets that are specified in the 2013-2017 Delivery Program

Reduce the quantity of domestic waste material disposed of to landfill each year to below

4,400 tonnes

Increase the quantity of domestic waste material diverted from landfill each year to more

than 6,600 tonnes

Achieve greater that a 60% diversion of domestic waste from landfill to reuse/recycling

each year.




Kempsey Shire Council’s strategy to promote waste avoidance, resource recovery and improve

waste management between 2014-15 and 2021-22 involves undertaking action in the following

four focus areas, which are further described below:

1 Avoid and reduce waste

2 Recover more waste

3 Improve management of problem wastes

4 Reduce litter and illegal dumping

Each focus area is supported by an Action Plan, which contains a specific objective, related key

performance indicators and associated targets, and actions designed to enable KSC to achieve

these objectives and targets. The actions incorporate a series of priority steps that are linked to

a timeline and a budget estimate for implementation, against which performance can be

monitored and tracked.

Each of the focus areas are summarised below, followed immediately by the detailed Action

Plans which have been included in the Executive Summary so that the implementation element

of this Strategy is directly accessible to the reader.

Avoid and Reduce Waste

Kempsey Shire Council aspires to improve the use of resources within the Kempsey community

in order to avoid creating unnecessary waste. To measure performance against this objective,

KSC plans to achieve the following key performance indicator (KPI) target:

By 2021-22 to reduce waste generation per capita, when compared to the baseline period

2011-12.

KSC will undertake four key actions in order to improve the use of resources and reduce waste

generation within its community:

1 Build capacity for reuse of materials

2 Support households and businesses in reducing disposal of food waste

3 Reduce the impact of tourism on overall waste generation and littering

4 Improve capacity of the community to make more sustainable consumption choices

Increase Recovery of Waste

Kempsey Shire Council aims to increase the recovery of waste materials in order to meet the

State targets that reduce landfill impacts, to boost the local economy through new industry, and

to use natural resources more sustainably.

To measure performance against this objective, KSC will use the following KPIs and plans to

work towards increasing the:

recycling rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) to 70% by 2021-22

recycling rate for commercial and industrial (C&I) waste to 70%, by 2021-22

recycling rate for construction and demolition (C&D) waste to 80%, by 2021-22

waste diverted from landfill (across the MSW, C&I and C&D streams) to 75% by 2021-22.

KSC will undertake four key actions in order to increase the recovery of waste within the local

government area:

1 Recover more organics from the residual waste stream




2 Improve source separation of commingled recyclables through best practice kerbside

collection contracts

3 Further develop industry partnerships to encourage waste recovery in the C&I and C&D

sectors

4 Improve the Waste Management Centre to process more C&I and C&D material for

greater resource recovery

Improve Problem Waste Management

Kempsey Shire Council aims to better manage problem wastes so as to reduce potential risks to

environmental and human health. To measure performance against this objective, KSC plans to

achieve the following KPI target:

Provide all Kempsey residents with reasonable access to a facility for correct disposal of

problem wastes, by 2017-18.

Improving the management of problem wastes will prove challenging, especially considering the

convenience of the kerbside general waste bin, and requires government and the community to

both play their part. To this end, KSC will undertake two key actions in order to improve problem

waste management:

1 Provide improved infrastructure to collect problem wastes

2 Engage the community to correctly dispose problem wastes

Reduce Litter and Illegal Dumping

Kempsey Shire Council plans to improve the Kempsey region’s amenity and decrease risks to

humans, animals and the environment caused by incorrectly disposed waste. To deliver this

objective, KSC plans to:

Reduce the incidence of littering and illegal dumping in identified community hotspots

annually through enforcement and education programs by 2021-22.

KSC plans to undertake two key actions in order to reduce littering and illegal dumping:

1 Gather and analyse data to better understand the sources and causes of litter and illegal

dumping in the Kempsey region

2 Utilise data to inform, develop and target education and enforcement actions


Page 6

2 ACTION PLANS

Focus Area 1 - Avoid and Reduce Waste

Key Actions Key Steps Timeline Costing

1 – Avoid and Reduce Waste

Objective: To improve the use of resources within the Kempsey community in order to avoid creating unnecessary waste

Key Performance Indicator and Target: To reduce waste generation per capita by 2021-22, when compared to the baseline period 2011-12

1.1 Build capacity for

reuse of materials

Short-term Priorities:

Implement measures to improve the efficiency and

capacity of existing ReUse shop including new

roofed and hard stand area.

July 2015

$107,000 from Waste Less Recycle More Initiative.

Review and revise KSC’s waste website to ensure

it is up to date, relevant and an informative

resource

July 2015 / ongoing Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Develop a listing of regular waste types and

quantities received and identify opportunities for

others to reuse these waste streams

August 2015/ Yearly Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Identify opportunities for social enterprise to

develop and operate the Reuse Shop

June 2016 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Continue to work with Macleay Options and

explore opportunities to expand infrastructure to

enable the stripping of mattresses

August 15 – On going WLRM funding available in August 2015. Budget to be

incorporated with current BWRF project and Macleay Options

funding.

Continue to support the Men’s and Ladies Shed

initiative through awareness-raising and building

capacity for expansion of operations.

January 2016 Midwaste project and Incorporated within current waste and

education budgets


Page 7


Medium-term Actions:

Develop market to collect reusable goods at

transfer stations, for sale at existing ReUse shop

or through new ReUse shop operations at SWR

June 2015 – June 2017

$70,00 per reuse shop. WLRM funding to be sourced to offset

capital costs. SWR to be the first priority.

Construct undercover areas with suitable storage

for reusable goods/materials at transfer stations

and the waste management centre

June 2017 Linked with Reuse shop infrastructure primarily at SWR transfer

station.

Implement regional community-based projects

(e.g. clothing swap events, Junk Art exhibitions

etc.).

June 2017

$3,000. Midwaste to fund one event with KSC

1.2 Support households

and businesses to

reduce disposal of food

waste


Continue program offering subsidised compost

bins to schools and early childhood centres

Yearly $1,500 annually, from within existing Waste and Education budget

Work with the Midwaste region to expand and

improve behaviour-change programs such as the

Love Food Hate Waste program with households

and business.

2014 – June 2017

$0. Contingent on Midwaste funding.

Investigate the feasibility of offering green bin

waste collection services to commercial properties

August 2016 $0. This will be funded with new collections contract. User pays

system. Linked to action 2.1

Review the kerbside collection service to optimise

the recovery of greenwaste within the community

August 2016 Linked to Action 2.1

Investigate the feasibility of offering greenwaste

services to commercial properties

August 2016 $0. This will be funded with new collections contract. User pays

system. Linked to action 2.1

Continue to provide kitchen foodwaste collection

bins and compostable liner bag replacements to

domestic properties

Ongoing. Funded directly through existing Domestic Waste Collection

service. Linked to action 2.1.


Page 8



Work with the Midwaste region to develop and

implement region-wide home composting

program, incorporating focus on households, as

well as community composting locations (i.e.

schools, early childhood centres, community

centres, community gardens).

December 2015 – June 2017

Contingent on Midwaste or other external funding.

1.3 Reduce impact of

tourism upon waste

generation


Review service requirements for caravan parks

and major accommodation/hospitality providers.

October 2015 $0. Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Expand the provision of public place waste and

recycling infrastructure.

April 2015 – Jun 2022 $50,000. Contributions funded yearly with the BWRF and

Midwaste contributions

Investigate weekly waste and recycling collections

during the peak holiday period in December &

January each year

October 2016 To be funded from respective increases in the domestic waste

collection charges commensurate with the increased costs to

Council.

Investigate expansion and promotion of

permanent and portable water refill stations in

public places and at community events.

Dec 2014 – June 2017

$0. Water refill stations are currently being installed in key

locations. Midwaste has supported KSC with a portable refill

station at Kempsey Riverside Markets

Subsidies Macleay Valley Markets to provide

plastic bag-less events through the provision of

reuse bags

July 2015 $2,000. Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Develop a dog waste strategy and install dog bag

dispensers to reduce the incidence of dog waste.

Install new dispensers each year at key locations.

Dec 2014 – July 2018 $10,000. Per year Incorporated within current waste and

education budgets


Page 9



Develop and promote and provide practical

support for Waste Wise Events through

collaborative partnerships with event organisers,

event waste guidelines, event bins infrastructure

support and education materials.

July 2016 $1,000. Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Work with tourism operators to gather further

information on waste management attitudes and

behaviour of local tourists.

June 2016

Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

1.4 Improve capacity of

the community to make

more sustainable

consumption choices


Work with community groups to develop initiatives

to promote avoidance of single-use and

excessively packaged products frequently used by

tourists (surf riders at Crescent Head)

June 2015 – June 2021 Linked to Macleay Valley Markets initiative. Incorporated within

current waste and education budgets

Develop partnerships with community

organisations to drive community change

programs. Surf Riders Keep NSW Beautiful Grant

submission

June 2015 – on going $10,000 from Public place recycling initiative

Expand targeted business waste reduction

program for shopping centres and major C&I

waste generators

Ongoing from 2014 $5,000 annually over first 3 years, then to be reviewed.

Incorporate sustainable shopping and waste

avoidance principles into existing education

programs and resources, including online

resources, community workshops and

presentations, event stalls, local media

communications.

Ongoing from 2014 $3,000 annually over first 3 years, then to be reviewed.


Page 10



Expand targeted business waste reduction

program for shopping centres and major C&I

waste generators

July 2016 $5,000 annually. Incorporated within current waste and education

budgets

Incorporate sustainable shopping and waste

avoidance principles into existing education

programs and resources, including online

resources, community workshops and

presentations, event stalls, local media

communications.

July 2016 $3,000 annually Incorporated within current waste and education

budgets

Promote avoidance of single-use products and

excessive packaging through expansion of the

Schools Waste-Wise program and awards

scheme.

June 2016 – June 2022 In partnership with Midwaste program

Investigate a general business waste avoidance

measures through expansion of Business Waste-

Wise program and awards scheme.

July 2017 Scoping required


Page 11

Focus Area 2 – Recover More Waste


2 – Increase Recovery of Waste

Objective: To increase the recovery of waste materials in order to reduce landfill impacts, to boost the local economy through new industry, and to use natural resources more

sustainably.

Key Performance Indicators and Targets:

To contribute to the following targets:

increase the recycling rate for MSW to 70% by 2021-22

increase the recycling rate for C&I waste to 70% by 2021-22

increase the recycling rate for C&D waste to 80% by 2021-22

increase the waste diverted from landfill (across the MSW, C&I and C&D streams) to 75% by 2021-22

2.1 Recover more

organics from the

residual waste stream


Maintain FOGO kitchen foodwaste bins and

compostable liner bag supply to all residents with

green bins

Jan 2015 $93,000 from WLRM funding received and maintained within

existing waste collection contract budget

Improve data collection in order to test efficiency

of FOGO roll-out

June 2015 To be included within regular waste audits, as per Action 2.2

below


Work regionally to investigate the cost-benefit of

processing local organics vs. central processing

June 2015 to June 2016 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Work regionally to align recycling educational

messages and deliver regional education program

to reduce contamination of organics and increase

capture of organics

June 2016 Dependent upon scope of program


Page 12


Develop and deliver a detailed FOGO

communication and education plan, with a flagship

locally recognisable marketing theme and high

profile ambassador to promote the service

October 2016 $15-$20,000

Monitor regional developments in energy-from-

waste options for energy recovery

Ongoing $0 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

2.2 Improve kerbside

waste collection systems

and source separation of

organics and

commingled recyclables


Plan for and introduce a new Kerbside Collection

Contract, including but not limited to:

Investigate best practice kerbside collection

options to help achieve NSW EPA Waste

avoidance targets

Rollout of FOGO as per Action 2.1 above

Determining feasibility and scope of a further

rollout of public place recycling

Determining the most effective way to collect

public place recycling

2014 – October 2016 Community Consultation, planning and procurement may cost in

the vicinity of $50,000 - $100,000. Included in new waste

collection contract.

Investigate regional processing of 3 bin waste to

reduce ongoing processing costs and diversion

targets

June 2015 – October 2016 $0 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets.

Make it easier for users to source separate at

waste drop-off facilities

June 2014 - 2017 $150,000 BWRF funding received for upgrade to Crescent Head

WMC.

Make it easier to recycle in public places, through

installation of additional recycling bins and

improved signage (Linked with the planning and

introduction of a new Collection contract , above)

June 2015 – June 2022 $50,000. Contributions funded yearly with the BWRF and

Midwaste contributions. Linked to action 1.3.


Page 13


Undertake regular waste audits on kerbside bins

in order to understand opportunities for improving

source separation

October 2016 Contractor contributions for audits across all 3 bins in years 2, 4,6,

8 of new collections contract.


Undertake an audit on drop-off residual waste in

order to understand diversion opportunities

July 2016 $30 - $40,000. Funding will be applied for through the BWRF.

Collaborate with Midwaste to identify future landfill

opportunities.

June 2016 Could be undertaken within Council’s current staff resources

Identify and develop unmanned waste drop off

centres for communities without access to a

kerbside waste collection service

June 2016 - June 2017 $25,000 per site.

2.3 Further develop

industry partnerships to

encourage waste

recovery in the C&I and

C&D sectors


Promote funding available to businesses through

Bin Trim.

January 2015 $0. Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Continue to promote recycling services and

opportunities to the C&I sector including web-

based resources and promotion

June 2014 - Ongoing $0. Incorporated within current waste and education budgets


Investigate a Pilot of a centralised recycling area

in the city centre (resources permitting)

August 2017 Scoping study required

Explore additional reprocessing opportunities to

divert waste and create local industry

July 2017 Scoping study required


Page 14


2.4 Improve the Waste

Management Centre to

comply with current EPA

guidelines and to process

more C&I and C&D

material for greater

resource recovery


Introduce tip vouchers for domestic waste

customers to increase waste received and reduce

illegal dumping

Completed July 2015 An additional charge has been included in the 2015/2016 Fees &

Charges to fund the voucher scheme.

Prepare a site Master Plan for the WMC to identify

future development opportunities, investigate

organic processing and provide further

opportunities for social enterprise

Completed by July 2016 $50,000 – Funded through the BWRF

Installation of a second weighbridge and traffic

plan to ensure Council complies with the new EPA

landfill guidelines and landfill licence including

modifications to the existing administration

building.

June 2016 $250,000 . Funding will need to be found to help deliver this

initiative.

Investigate introducing differential gate fees at the

WMC and WTSs to encourage source separated

loads as opposed to mixed loads

April 2016 Could be undertaken within Council’s current staff resources


Page 15

Focus Area 3 – Improve Management of Problem Wastes


3 – Improve Problem Waste Management

Objective: To better manage problem wastes so as to reduce potential risks to environmental and human health.

Key Performance Indicator and Target: By 2017-18, to provide all Kempsey residents with reasonable access to a facility for correct disposal of problem wastes.

3.1 Provide improved

infrastructure to collect

problem wastes


Improve collection of problem wastes at drop-off

centres through the installation of the Community

Recycling Centre at the Waste management

Centre

July 2015 $107,000 WLRM funding received

Provide an alternative service to residents without

access to drop-off centres with the introduction of

a mobile collection vehicle.

January 2015 $29,000 WLRM funding received and $50,000 BWRF is used to

offset the operator each year.

Continue support of the Chemical CleanOut,

drumMUSTER and ChemClear programs

Review annually Midwaste funding and EPA funding will be used to continue

these events.

Continue to work with Macleay Options to further

develop the mattress stripping industry located at

the Waste Management Centre and incorporate

the Kempsey Revitalisation Strategy.

July 2015 Seek EPA WLRM funding and utilise $50,000 of BWRF to

develop infrastructure at the Waste Management Centre.

3.2 Engage the

community to correctly

dispose problem wastes


Conduct community consultation in order to

formulate a baseline for community awareness

and engagement in correct disposal of problem

wastes, and to understand barriers to correct

disposal

Completed by December 2015 $2,000 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets


Page 16


Continue to include correct disposal information

on standard Council waste education material,

such as Council’s website, at drop-off centres, and

in mail-outs

Annually Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Support the community to properly dispose of

asbestos wastes through the completion of a pilot

free asbestos disposal scheme.

Completed August 2015 $20,000 EPA WLRM funding received for pilot program

Mid-term Actions:

Use results of the above community consultation

to inform communication and awareness

initiatives, including working with Midwaste to

develop and deliver a regional educational

initiative

March 2016 Will seek funding through Midwaste and EPA programs.

Develop partnerships with the C&I sector to

investigate further recovery opportunities for local

problem wastes

January 2017 Dependent upon scope of projects


Page 17

Focus Area 4 – Reduce Litter and Illegal Dumping


4 – Reduce Littering and Illegal Dumping

Objective: To improve the beauty of the Kempsey region and to decrease risks to humans, animals and the environment.

Key Performance Indicator and Target: Reduce the incidence of illegal dumping and littering by 2021-22.

4.1 Gather and analyse

data to better understand

the sources and causes

of litter and illegal

dumping in the Kempsey

region

4.2 Utilise data to inform

remedial actions


Work with existing community groups to undertake litter

clean up events offering $1,000 per community group

June 2015 $5,000 in total supported by the BWRF

Ensure data on illegal dumping and littering is collected

as per EPA guidelines, and provide this information to

the community for education through various media

including the KSC website and Mayoral column

Completed by September

2015 and annually

Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Develop council surveillance strategy to ensure the use

and enforcement of surveillance cameras in known

illegal dumping hotspots and extract key data from

existing databases on illegal dumping investigations

and fines to target hotspots and actions for potential

WLRM grants

July 2016 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets

Identify and implement surveillance initiatives across all

waste facilities.

July2016 $10,000 per site

Provide support for community-based clean-up events June 2015 Dependent upon scope. Could be factored into Council’s existing

Waste and Education budget or BWRF allocation


Build local community partnerships with Crown Lands,

Forests NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife

Services, Mid North Coast Aboriginal Land Council and

community groups to identify illegal dumping and

littering hotspots and targeted actions

June 2016 Incorporated within current waste and education budgets


Page 18


Work with Midwaste to develop a region-wide education

program targeting illegal dumping and littering

June 2016 Dependent upon scope

Work with Midwaste to investigate the feasibility of a

regional RID squad

June 2016 Dependent upon scope




3 INTRODUCTION

Kempsey Shire Council (KSC) is located on the mid north coast of New South Wales and is

home to nearly 30,000 people. The Kempsey local government area (LGA) stretches from the

Pacific Ocean in the east through to Macleay River hinterland in the west and encompasses the

townships of Kempsey, South West Rocks, Crescent Head as well as Willawarrin, Bellbrook,

Stuarts Point, Hat Head, Gladstone, Smithtown & Frederickton. Key economic sectors in the

region include manufacturing, tourism, retail and health/community services.

This Waste and Education Strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22 (“this Strategy”) creates a vision for

minimisation of waste, recovery of waste, and better waste management services within the

Kempsey LGA to promote economic sustainability in conjunction with positive environmental

and social outcomes. It describes a number of areas in which KSC plans to take definitive and

practical steps towards delivering better waste services and infrastructure and encouraging the

community to adopt more environmentally sustainable behaviours.

The Kempsey area has a number of waste management issues, including the increasing cost

and value of remaining local landfill space, increasing demands by the community for affordable

systems of waste management and disposal. Further, the fluctuation of waste generation rates

as a result of tourism presents significant issues with respect to waste collection, transportation

and landfill capacity and operation. This Strategy aims to mitigate the risk to KSC presented by

these issues.

NEED FOR THIS STRATEGY 3.1

A number of drivers inform the need for this Strategy and provide the foundation of its content.

These include the NSW Draft Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2013-21, the

Midwaste Regional Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2014-21, the Waste

Less, Recycle More funding program, NSW 2021: A Plan to Make NSW Number One and the

landfill levy under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997, outlined in Figure 3-1.

Figure 3-1 Kempsey Waste and Education Strategy drivers




The NSW Draft Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR) Strategy 2013-21 re-

focuses the strategic direction for waste avoidance and resource recovery in NSW up to 2021-

22. Various quantitative targets are set out including a state-wide requirement to divert 70% of

household waste away from landfill by 2021-22.

The Midwaste Regional WARR Strategy is based upon the NSW WARR Strategy, and provides

waste management guidance and actions for the eight councils on New South Wales’ mid north

coast, of which KSC is one. The key result areas are in line with the NSW Draft WARR Strategy

and aim to strengthen and develop collaborative strategic partnerships with a focus on

implementing effective local waste management solutions. Aligning this Strategy with the

Midwaste WARR Strategy allows KSC to benefit from resource and knowledge-sharing, and to

take advantage of economies of scale.

The Macleay Valley 2036 Community Strategic Plan details the driving goals which shape the

actions and outputs desired by the community for the future. The 2013-2017 Delivery Program

lists the program item “Minimise Impacts Of Waste & Safely Dispose Of Waste Products” under

the primary strategy;

HS-04 Restore damaged environments and removal of environmental threats

The program has linkages to the secondary strategies of;

HS-05 Use planning controls to ensure that environmental impacts do not negatively

affect lifestyle

HS-06 Minimise risk to community’s health

WS-05 Increasing value of production

SOS-03 Include social behaviour as part of education

To measure performance against the objectives in the Community Strategic Plan & Delivery

Program, KSC plans to achieve the following overarching key performance indicator (KPI)

targets that are specified in the 2013-2017 Delivery Program

Reduce the quantity of domestic waste material disposed of to landfill each year to below

4,400 tonnes

Increase the quantity of domestic waste material diverted from landfill each year to more

than 6,600 tonnes

Achieve greater that a 60% diversion of domestic waste from landfill to reuse/recycling

each year.

However, whilst consistent with the overall direction of the broader strategies, it is important to

note that the KSC Strategy is tailored to address unique local issues and challenges, and

focusses strongly on identifying and delivering solutions from the local level up.

The Waste Less, Recycle More (WLRM) funding program will deliver $456.7 million up until

2017 through a series of grants and funding for local governments that are designed to provide

financial assistance and improve resource recovery systems. The funding available under

WLRM is in accordance with the strategic framework of the Draft NSW WARR Strategy, hence

this Strategy is founded upon the Draft NSW WARR Strategy in order to best position KSC to

successfully apply for contestable funding under the WLRM program.

NSW 2021: A Plan to Make NSW Number One is a key strategic document for NSW in which

goals for 2021 are established and coupled with priority actions, a number of which relate to

waste management and local governments, including targets around illegal dumping, littering




and problem wastes. These targets have been taken into consideration in the development of

this Strategy.

Landfill Levy

In 2014-15, KSC will pay the NSW Government $65.40 on each tonne of waste disposed to

landfill, and projected to rise to at least $89.50 by 2021-2022. The waste levy is designed to

drive greater resource recovery that can reduce landfill waste and its increasing cost burden to

the local economy. KSC must try to facilitate greater access and these must be passed on to

the community with increased illegal dumping cost consequences possible.

Landfill Replacement Costs

While KSC’s landfill still has the capacity to accept waste for many years to come, this landfill

space needs to be maintained for as long as possible. Community concerns about living near

disposal facilities, stringent environmental regulations and engineering requirements can make

developing a new landfill extremely difficult and expensive. It is therefore of paramount

importance to conserve landfill space, to ensure KSC retains a cost effective option for the

ongoing disposal of unavoidable residual waste for which there are no other viable recovery or

treatment alternatives. The existing landfill capacity should not be compromised through the

sale of space below the true value of that space to the community in the future.




GUIDING PRINCIPLES 3.2

The concept of a ‘waste hierarchy’ is a key component in most modern waste management

policies and strategies. The hierarchy identifies the preferred approach to waste management,

with avoidance and reduction of waste the most preferable option, and disposal the least

preferable.

While waste avoidance is most preferable, it is also one of the most difficult areas for KSC to

control. Influencing waste avoidance is most effective when action is taken at a household-level.

Through effective community education, provision of avoidance and reuse opportunities and

advocating to other levels of government KSC can drive improvement at the ‘top’ of the waste

hierarchy.

KSC will typically have more control over the lower portion of the hierarchy, through the choice

of end destinations for collected waste materials. However, individuals within the community

have a large influence on how effective those systems are. For example, KSC can provide a

kerbside recycling service, but this will not be effective if householders place the wrong

materials into the recycling bins.

These differing levels of control and mechanisms for change are an important consideration in

the development of actions within this Strategy, as they inform what KSC can do in its LGA.

Avoid / Reduce

Reuse

Recycle

Recover Energy

Dispose

Individuals control their own purchasing decisions, and must

take responsibility for reducing the volume of waste created.

Councils can influence the

community by creating avoidance and reuse opportunities, and

through education and advocacy.

Councils control the destination of collected waste materials and

are responsible for choosing waste management systems

appropriate for their local communities.

Individuals can influence the

effectiveness of waste systems by using them properly (such as

reducing contamination in recycling).




4 WHERE ARE WE NOW?

Before developing a strategic vision for waste management within Kempsey, it is important to

understand the current state of waste generation and services within the Kempsey LGA.

Following are descriptions of the demographics of Kempsey, the quantity and sources of waste

generated within the area, what happens to the waste, and the services and facilities set up to

deal with the waste.

KEMPSEY’S PEOPLE AND ECONOMY 4.1

Over 29,000 people currently live in the local government area (LGA) of Kempsey with the

population having increased by 3.6% since 2007, according to the Australian Bureau of

Statistics’ National Regional Profile. The NSW Department of Planning suggests the population

will increase by a further 5% to 30,600 by 2021.

The majority of growth in the area is predicted to occur in Kempsey (including nearby Euroka

and Green Hills), South West Rocks and Crescent Head. This follows similar trends throughout

the region being driven mainly by a large influx of retirees, attracted by the popular “sea-

change” lifestyle.

The overall population of the area fluctuates considerably over holiday periods, with over

500,000 visitors to the Macleay Valley Coast each year.

KSC has faced some socio-economic challenges with the unemployment in the region at 8.9%

and household income generally below the state average. However growth has been recorded

in some sectors including retail, health care and social assistance which represents a shift away

from traditional industries in the area such as agriculture and manufacturing. The Kempsey

region has also seen strong growth in tourism over recent years, particularly in Crescent Head

and South West Rocks, which are popular tourist destinations in summer and school holiday

periods. The socio-economics of the Kempsey area signifies that waste management costs to

residents and businesses need to be minimised.

HOW DO WE PERFORM AGAINST INDUSTRY 4.2BENCHMARKS

The existing waste service performance statistics for domestic waste collection are detailed in

the table below:

Service Levels Target Results Achievement

Of KPI’s

Change

Necessary

to Achieve

KPI

14/15 13/14 12/13

# tonnes of domestic waste

material per year disposed to

landfill

4,400 5,971 6,061 5,966

The pro rata

YTD target

was 1571

# tonnes of domestic waste

material per year diverted from

landfill

6,600 4,883 4,734 4,725

+1717t/yr




Service Levels Target Results Achievement

Of KPI’s

Change

Necessary

to Achieve

KPI

14/15 13/14 12/13

% material reused/recycled as a

proportion of the quantity of

material disposed in the landfill

each year

60% 45% 44% 44%

+15%

To achieve the current and future targets set by the State Government in the WARR Strategy it

is clear that significant action will be required.




WHERE DOES OUR WASTE COME FROM? 4.3

Three sources of solid waste contribute to waste generation in the Kempsey LGA:

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) – generated by residents and local government operations

Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste – generated by businesses, industries and

institutions

Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste – generated by construction and demolition

works.

4.3.1 MSW

Services to manage MSW are the responsibility of KSC while C&I and C&D wastes are

generally the responsibility of businesses or industry. KSC provides the community with

collection, disposal and drop-off services for MSW which include the residual, recyclable and

organic waste streams.

In 2011-121, over 14,000 tonnes of MSW waste was generated in the Kempsey LGA, or

approximately 500 kilograms of waste per person. Figure 4-2 shows that the majority of this

waste (around 7,600 tonnes) was residual waste, which is disposed to landfill.

Figure 4-2 Generation of waste within Kempsey LGA

More recent figures from 2013-14 show an MSW waste to landfill has increased to around 8,900

tonnes per annum. This figure includes both kerbside collected and self-haul waste.

Composition of Waste

Based on a waste audit conducted in 2014, the residual waste portion of the MSW stream can

be broken down as illustrated in Figure 4-3, with a large portion of the stream actually consisting

of recoverable material.

1 2011-12 data has been used as baseline data with all modelling based on this information. More recent 2013-14 figures

have been provided for comparison where available.

Residual 52%

Recyclable 21%

Organic 27%




The data indicates that over 16% of kerbside residual waste is made up of materials that could

be recovered through the current commingled recycling collection (such as newspaper,

cardboard, recyclable plastics and metals). A further 35% of material is food and garden

organics, which could be recovered through the existing organics collection.

Figure 4-3 KSC residual waste composition

Impact of tourism

Annual kerbside waste generation quantities have remained relatively constant over recent

years, however due to the influx of visitors over the summer holiday period, waste generation is

typically higher during this time compared to the winter months.

Monthly variation in waste generation from July 2012 to June 2013 for the residual waste stream

is presented in Figure 4-4. The trend line for kerbside residual waste demonstrates seasonal

fluctuation in waste generation with peaks in the summer period and troughs during the winter

months.

Figure 4-4 Seasonal variation in Kempsey residual waste generation

Food organics, 34.7%

Potentially recyclable,

16.5% Garden organics, 0.8%

Other, 48.1%

300

400

500

600

700

Was

te t

on

ne

s p

er

mo

nth

Month

Residual Waste Generation




4.3.2 C&I WASTE

Commercial and Industrial waste refers to the solid component of the waste stream generated

from commercial, industrial, government, public or manufacturing premises. This section of the

market is generally serviced by the private sector, however, the State C&I targets and Waste

Levy encouraged KSC to offer the 3 bin system collection service to commercial properties sited

within the existing municipally serviced areas of the Shire. Recycling and organics bins are

currently offered at domestic rates to further incentivise and facilitate greater waste diversion.

Due to the fragmented nature of the market, accurate data relating to commercial waste

streams across Australia is limited, and the Kempsey LGA is no exception. While landfill

weighbridge data may provide an indication of the quantities disposed, private commercial

operators also service many businesses in the Kempsey region and KSC does not have direct

access to data where waste or recycling is taken elsewhere.

Crescent Head WMC weighbridge data presented in Figure 4-5 shows some year on year

fluctuation in the amount of C&I waste disposed to landfill in Kempsey, with the most recent

data indicating that around 5,313 tonnes of C&I waste was disposed in 2013-14.

Figure 4-5 C&I waste disposed to landfill at Crescent Head WMC

As noted above, KSC does not have access to industry collection data and as such cannot

accurately establish a recovery rate for the area. However, broader NSW Government data

indicates that the C&I sector represents a significant opportunity for greater material diversion2

and this is likely the case in KSC also.

2 The NSW WARR Strategy Progress Report (2010) indicates that 52% of C&I waste material generated in NSW was

diverted from landfill in 2008–09, against a state-wide target to achieve 63% diversion by 2014

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Was

te d

isp

osa

l (to

nn

es)




4.3.3 C&D WASTE

Construction and demolition waste can be summarised as the solid inert component of the

waste stream generated through construction, demolition or refurbishment activities. C&D waste

generally contains a high proportion of ‘heavy’ materials such as brick, stone and concrete and

as such is sensitive to increases in the landfill levy (which is applied on a ‘per tonne’ basis).

Kempsey landfill weighbridge data suggests significant variation in the amount of C&D waste

being disposed to landfill at the Crescent Head WMC with data from the last four years being

presented in Figure 4-6. This is predominantly related to the amount of fill (including

contaminated soil) entering the facility year to year. The fluctuations in the amount of fill entering

the site can significantly skew the C&D waste figures making it difficult to understand

construction waste trends. As such, KSC now tracks contaminated soil through a different

category and this is reflected in the marked decrease in C&D waste to landfill in 2013-14.

Figure 4-6 C&D waste disposed to landfill at Crescent Head WMC

Much like the C&I waste stream discussed above, KSC does not collect data from private

operators and as such there is no clear indication of the diversion rate for C&D waste in the

area. NSW Government data shows that the landfill diversion rate for C&D waste was 75% in

2010–11, against a 2014 target diversion rate of 76%. High recycling rates are achieved from

this stream due to it being relatively homogenous and relatively heavy; weight-based disposal

charging provides a clear incentive for regular generators of this waste to seek alternative

resource recovery options, such as crushing masonry materials to produce aggregates that can

displace the use of virgin crushed rock products in various civil engineering applications. Non

consistent materials and sizes can make it more difficult to meet engineering standards that

must be complied with. Opportunities exist for these materials to be processed to standards that

will enable their use in various KSC civil engineering applications.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Was

te d

isp

osa

l (to

nn

es)




RECOVERY OF WASTE 4.4

Based on 2011-12 figures, approximately 6,800 tonnes of MSW was diverted from landfill and

recovered in the Kempsey region, equating to 46% of the total MSW stream.

It is noted that the overall diversion is likely to have increased since the 2011-12 data due to the

introduction of food organics collection and recovery after this period.

Figure 4-7 Disposal and diversion of residual, recyclable and organic waste (based on weight)

The recyclables stream constituted 42% of the total waste recovered, with 9% of the recyclables

stream disposed as contamination.

Garden organic waste accounted for nearly 60% of the total waste recovered and this organic

material was virtually uncontaminated, with 99% able to be recovered.

Residual Waste Disposed

52.1%

Recyclable Waste Recovered

19.2%

Recyclable Waste

Disposed 1.8%

Organic Waste Recovered

26.7%

Organic Waste Disposed

0.2%




KERBSIDE BIN SERVICES 4.5

KSC provides residents with a three-bin system for kerbside collection of residual waste,

commingled recycling, and organics. Figure 4-8 highlights the final destination of the three

waste streams.

Figure 4-8 Kempsey waste destinations

4.5.1 RESIDUAL WASTE (RED BIN)

KSC provides a weekly residual waste collection service; this waste is disposed at the Kempsey

Waste Management Centre Landfill. Residual waste can also be dropped off at a number of

transfer stations in the region as outlined in Section 4.6.

4.5.2 RECYCLABLES (YELLOW BIN)

Kerbside recyclables are collected fortnightly and taken to the Cairncross Waste Management

Facility where a materials recovery facility (MRF) separates out recoverable products such as

metal, glass, paper and cardboard. Residents can also use local transfer stations to drop-off

recyclables. In October 2014 KSC delivered a ReUse Recycling Bag to assist residents in

source separation of recyclables within the home.

4.5.3 FOOD & GARDEN ORGANICS (GREEN BIN)

An organics collection system was introduced in 2009 with the collection of garden organics

(GO) and then expanded in 2011 to include food organics (FO) despite remaining as a

fortnightly collection. A free household food-scrap collection bin and compostable liner system

was offered to the community to promote the option to divert more organics from being wasted

in landfill. The compostable liners made it easier to contain and dispose of FO in the kerbside

Green Bin with minimal odour issues despite not being a weekly collection. There was also a

non-aerated bin option which could be used without liners and made available to addresses with

or without a Green Bin so FO could be diverted from landfill to home composting systems, worm

farms or chook pens more easily. .

In October 2014 KSC gained WLRM funding to supply and deliver a smaller non-aerated

kitchen organics bin and liner system to all households with a Green Bin service to shift from the

voluntary opt in system and further improve diversions for this waste stream.




WHERE DOES THE WASTE GO? 4.6

KSC owns and operates one integrated waste management centre at Crescent Head and three

transfer stations at South West Rocks, Stuarts Point and Bellbrook. The locations of the facilities

are displayed below.




4.6.1 CRESCENT HEAD WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTRE

The Crescent Head WMC (Figure 4-9) is an integrated waste management site incorporating a

landfill and resource recovery transfer station. The site is approximately 12 hectares in size and

has a remaining lifespan of approximately 31 years, with significant room for expansion (if

approved by the relevant authorities) into surrounding Crown Lands. The landfill is currently

licensed to accept 10,000 tonnes of waste per year, including general solid waste (both

putrescible and non-putrescible), tyres and asbestos waste.

The site incorporates an electronic weighbridge, a ReUse shop, and a dedicated area for

separation of materials for recycling (resource recovery area). The WMC recovers a range of

recyclables including commingled recyclables, garden organic waste and hazardous and

problem wastes.

Figure 4-9 Aerial view of Crescent Head WMC

4.6.2 WASTE TRANSFER STATIONS

KSC’s waste transfer stations accept household waste and recycling, with most resource

recovery streams accepted free of charge or at cost. Each site also accepts greenwaste,

concrete, brick and tile rubble, waste oils, eWaste, polystyrene, scrap metal, gas bottles, fire

extinguishers, paint, fluorescent lighting, batteries (lead acid and dry cell), printer cartridges,

mobile phones and accessories.

The South West Rocks transfer station is open part time 4 days per week with a waste

attendant offering front loader skip bins for both waste and recycling.

The Stuarts Point transfer station opens part time 2 days a week with a waste attendant and has

front loader skip bins for both waste and recycling.




Bellbrook transfer station opens 2 days a week part time with a waste attendant and has front

loader skip bins for waste and Mobile Garbage Bins (MGBs) for recycling.

Each of the transfer stations could only be classified as “primitive” waste facilities and

substantial investment is required to bring these sites up to the standard that is required for

modern workplaces as well as encouraging proper use, reuse & recycling opportunities to the

community.

4.6.3 REGIONAL FACILITIES

The Cairncross Waste Management Facility in the Port Macquarie-Hastings Local Government

Area has two significant waste facilities that KSC uses to manage the community’s waste.

Commingled recyclables collected from Kempsey Shire and Port Macquarie-Hastings Council

areas are transferred for processing at the Cairncross Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), which

recovers paper/cardboard, plastic and metals for further recycling and reuse.

The Cairncross Organic Resource Recovery Facility commercially composts garden and food

waste collected in the two shires, with composted products sold to the local landscaping,

gardening and farming community for beneficial reuse.




5 WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?

Kempsey Shire Council’s strategy to promote waste avoidance, resource recovery and improve

waste management between 2014-15 and 2021-22 involves undertaking action in the following

four focus areas:

1 Avoid and reduce waste

2 Recover more waste

3 Improve management of problem wastes

4 Reduce litter and illegal dumping

These four key areas, and subsequent targets and actions, are based upon the strategic

frameworks contained within the NSW WARR Strategy and the Midwaste Regional WARR

Strategy. Action in these four areas ensures that KSC is operating within State Government

requirements and enables regional cooperation to achieve these goals.

This Chapter outlines key objectives, key performance indicators and associated targets, and

actions under each of the four key areas outlined above. Appendix A contains a series of Action

Plans which outline some of the key steps required to achieve the key actions and targets, and

include timelines and responsibilities. The Action Plans will be reviewed on a yearly basis in

order to ensure that the key steps remain relevant and effective.

Delivery Principles

Actions to achieve the objectives and targets under each of the four key areas outlined above

are informed by the following delivery principles, which are of high importance to KSC and its

community:

Waste management that can provide employment for KSC residents and, where possible,

provides opportunity for training, education and community engagement

Costs associated with waste management are to be minimised to keep best practice

options affordable and attractive to residents and industry. The cost of delivering projects

was strongly weighted when evaluating and prioritising the key actions and steps for

inclusion in the Strategy Action Plans.

Regional collaboration is encouraged in order to benefit from resource and knowledge-

sharing, and to take advantage of economies of scale

Utilisation of best practice waste management programs and technologies, where

possible

Social, environmental and economic objectives are to be weighed against each other to

achieve the best possible outcomes

Council shows leadership in delivering the objectives of Strategy.




AVOID AND REDUCE WASTE 5.1

Kempsey Shire Council aspires to improve the use of resources within the Kempsey community

in order to avoid creating unnecessary waste. To measure performance against this objective,

KSC plans to achieve the following Key Performance Indicator (KPI) target:

By 2021-22 to reduce waste generation per capita, when compared to the baseline period

2011-12.

Avoidance of waste is at the top of the waste management hierarchy and therefore is the

highest priority action in progressing towards sustainable use of resources. Reducing the

generation of waste, however, is a highly complex and difficult issue to address, requiring multi-

faceted solutions and ownership of the problem by a wide range of stakeholders.

For both households and businesses, waste avoidance largely relies on changes in the

decisions, systems and behaviours of the waste generator, therefore councils are best placed to

contribute to waste avoidance and reduction through delivering behavioural change programs

which build the capacity of their local communities to implement these changes. These

programs should aim to empower householders and businesses to utilise alternative pathways

for unwanted goods and materials, rather than allowing these items to enter established waste

collection systems.

Measuring improvements in the efficiency of resource use is an inherently difficult task and the

draft NSW WARR Strategy has therefore not set a quantitative target for waste avoidance. The

Draft Strategy Guidelines do however suggest that Councils could set a target for reducing the

average amount of waste generated per person.

KSC is certainly able to play a part in encouraging more efficient use of resources, with the

purpose of minimising the quantity of material entering the waste management system and

hence reducing the financial, environmental and social impacts of waste. It is important to

recognise that given the complexity of the issue, a measurable reduction in per capita waste

generation may be an aspirational target for the Kempsey community in the medium term.

However, this target is achievable in the longer term providing that other external factors to

reduce the resource-intensity of the economy also take effect. These factors may include

developments such as sustainable product design, light-weighting of packaging, product

stewardship initiatives, industrial ecology processes or increased up-take of ‘product service

system’ business models.

Kempsey Shire Council will undertake four key actions in order to improve the use of resources

and reduce waste generation within its community:

1 Build capacity for reuse of materials

KSC will prioritise support for maintaining or expanding the reach and effectiveness of

existing reuse initiatives which are already proven to be effective, such as the ReUse

shop at the Waste Management Centre, and other local ReUse promotions. At a later

stage, collaboration at the regional level may provide for social enterprise opportunities to

expand collection and/or resale of unwanted goods at additional sites in the LGA or

potentially introduce an operation to capture reusable building materials.

2 Support households and businesses in reducing disposal of food waste

As food waste forms a significant component of the residual waste stream, it is important

to put in place actions that minimise the amount of food entering the waste stream. In the

short-term, KSC will focus on maintaining and improving existing initiatives aimed at food

waste minimisation. Later, KSC will explore regional opportunities for food waste




minimisation, such as developing a local composting facility that can provide inexpensive

composts back to the communities that create them to close the loop.

3 Reduce the impact of tourism on overall waste generation and littering

Visitors to the Kempsey area generate large quantities of waste and recycling each year

and much of this ends up being the responsibility of KSC to collect. Initially, KSC will

focus on supporting and expanding existing initiatives including, for example, the

continued support and delivery of waste wise events and business waste reduction

programs. Medium-term action will align with strategic plans of Midwaste, and include

further research into the waste management attitudes and behaviours of tourists to allow

KSC to target specific behaviours.

4 Improve capacity of the community to make more sustainable consumption choices

Consumer purchasing power can be used to positively influence supply chains and

improve social responsibility in the market. However, since sustainable consumption

relies on the ability of consumers to make informed decisions, KSC can play an important

role in the provision of relevant information. KSC will continue to work with businesses,

schools and the community to develop and disseminate decision making information that

encourages waste minimisation and better recycling.




INCREASE RECOVERY OF WASTE 5.2

Kempsey Shire Council aims to increase the recovery of waste materials in order to reduce

landfill impacts, to boost the local economy through new industry, and to use natural resources

more sustainably.

To measure performance against this objective, KSC will use the following KPIs and plans to

work towards increasing the:

recycling rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) to 70% by 2021-22

recycling rate for commercial and industrial (C&I) waste to 70%, by 2021-22

recycling rate for construction and demolition (C&D) waste to 80%, by 2021-22

waste diverted from landfill (across the MSW, C&I and C&D streams) to 75% by 2021-22.

While it is preferable to minimise and avoid the creation of waste in the first place, recovery of

waste also plays an important part in decreasing the environmental impacts of waste. Recovery

of waste slows down the consumption of natural resources by lengthening the amount of time a

material is useful and can subsequently decrease water and power consumption associated

with extraction of virgin materials, and preserve valuable landfill space for materials which are

difficult to recover. The NSW Government’s levy on each tonne of waste sent to landfill and

employment created through recycling industries provide a dual economic incentive to recover

waste, and community expectations around sustainability of resources and greenhouse gas

emissions also drive the improvement of waste recovery.

KSC currently offers a kerbside recycling and FOGO collection service to approximately 65% of

residents where food organics is collected in the same bin as the garden organics. Recyclables

are also accepted for free at KSC’s waste drop-off facilities however GO does have a

processing charge. FO must currently be taken and charged as mixed waste to landfill.

In 2011-12, KSC achieved a recycling rate of 46% of its residential waste, which means that

54% (or nearly 8,000 tonnes) of waste was still disposed to landfill. To improve KSC’s recovery

rate towards the 70% target set by the State Government, further organics and recyclables will

need to be captured into the recycling system.

While the residential waste stream is the area over which KSC has the greatest amount of

control and influence, the State Government has also set targets around increasing diversion

from the C&I and C&D sectors. KSC has the ability to exercise some influence on these sectors

in order to improve waste diversion across its local government area.

To increase recovery of waste in the Kempsey local government area, KSC plans to undertake

four key actions:

1 Recover more organics from the residual waste stream

As organics form nearly half of the contents of the kerbside residual waste stream, this

material presents the greatest opportunity for increasing recovery. KSC will achieve this

action by continuing to implement the kerbside FOGO system and educating and

engaging residents to correctly use the service.

2 Improve source separation of commingled recyclables through best practice kerbside

collection contracts

Source separation of recyclables can be improved both by capturing more recyclables out

of the residual waste stream and by reducing contamination in the recyclables bin. A

recently conducted waste audit has identified that KSC’s actual kerbside diversion rate




(with the current bin system) is 56.77%, and that this could increase to 63.49% if

recyclables in the waste stream were recovered. Encouragingly, results of the audit

suggest that the potential diversion rate could increase to 77.95% with the recovery of

food and garden organics.

KSC should investigate best practice kerbside collection contracts including the roll out of

organics and recycling services to all residents including reviewing the frequency of

collections to ensure the greatest level of diversion can be achieved.

Capture of recyclables can also be improved in public spaces and at the waste drop-off

centres, where only around 50% of waste is currently being recovered. Improvement of

source separation involves making it easier, cost effective and convenient to separate

recyclables, and through encouragement of sustainable behaviour.

3 Further develop industry partnerships to encourage waste recovery in the C&I and C&D

sectors

Encouraging waste recovery in the C&I and C&D sectors can assist the local economy by

reducing levies paid for disposal of waste, and by generating employment in the recycling

industry. KSC will provide encouragement through providing communications about grant

funding and recycling services available. Resources permitting, KSC will explore

facilitating greater C&I and C&D recycling options and exploring additional reprocessing

opportunities.

4 Improve the Waste Management Centre to process more C&I and C&D material for

greater resource recovery

Greater resource recovery from the C&I and C&D waste streams can be facilitated by

systematically improving the layout of the centre, required infrastructure and operational

practices.

IMPROVE PROBLEM WASTE MANAGEMENT 5.3

Kempsey Shire Council aims to better manage problem wastes so as to reduce potential risks to

environmental and human health. To measure performance against this objective, KSC plans to

achieve the following KPI target:

Provide all Kempsey residents with reasonable access to a facility for correct disposal of

problem wastes, by 2017-18.

Problem wastes can be divided into three categories:

Low volume, high toxicity materials – these materials are generally collected through the

Household Chemical CleanOut program and include acids, pesticides, fuels, asbestos

and other toxic chemicals

High volume, low toxicity materials – these materials include the EPA’s list of ‘core’

materials (oil, paint, gas bottles, fluorescent lamps, batteries, smoke detectors) and e-

waste

Other difficult wastes – including expanded polystyrene (EPS) and mattresses.

The Crescent Head WMC accepts all problem wastes listed above, in addition to empty

chemical drums under the DrumMUSTER program, with KSC’s three smaller transfer stations

(at South West Rocks, Bellbrook and Stuarts Point) accepting most of the EPA’s ‘core’ list of

materials, e-waste and expanded polystyrene (e.g. used as packing material for electronic

items). Materials form the EPA’s list of ‘core’ materials, household chemicals and EPS are




accepted for free, with charges applying to mattresses, and asbestos (unless registered for free

acceptance under the Kempsey Household Asbestos Disposal Scheme that commenced July

2014 as a 12 month State funded pilot program).

However, even though these drop-off facilities are offered for problem wastes, problem wastes

are still being disposed through the kerbside bin system. Problem wastes can risk the safety of

personnel who work in the waste management industry, potentially pollute the soil and water if

disposed to landfill, potentially contaminate recyclable material and use up unnecessary

amounts of valuable landfill space.

Improving the management of problem wastes will prove challenging, especially considering the

convenience of the kerbside bin, and requires government and the community to both play their

part. To this end, Kempsey Shire Council will undertake two key actions in order to improve

problem waste management:

1 Provide improved infrastructure to collect problem wastes

KSC will aim to make it as convenient as possible for residents to dispose of problem

wastes in a safe and correct manner. This will involve actions such as continuing and

improving the collection of problem wastes at the Crescent Head WMC and other transfer

stations, and investigating the feasibility of services for residents who are not easily able

to access these facilities. These alternative services will include a mobile drop-off centre

which could visit all communities on a rotational basis and additional drop-off points for

certain problem wastes in central locations, such as the library and Council chambers

which already have bins for batteries and mobile phone wastes.

2 Engage the community to correctly dispose problem wastes

As well as making it easier for the community to correctly dispose problem wastes,

residents also need to be engaged to do so. This will involve educating the community

about the issues associated with problem wastes and communicating how these wastes

should be disposed.

REDUCE LITTER AND ILLEGAL DUMPING 5.4

Kempsey Shire Council plans to improve the amenity of the Kempsey region and to decrease

risks to humans, animals and the environment caused by incorrectly disposed waste. To

measure performance against this objective, KSC plans to achieve the following KPI target:

Reduce the incidence of littering and illegal dumping in identified community hotspots by

2021-22.

It is difficult to measure the cost and impact of litter and illegal dumping on the community. It is

also a challenge to build accurate information on the extent of illegal dumping because the

intent behind the dumping is to keep it out of sight, undetected and anonymous.

Illegal dumping and littering are carried out by all types of people in the community. The NSW

Illegal Dumping Strategy 2014-16 identifies the following reasons for illegal dumping:

convenience, an uncaring attitude, unwillingness to pay and using organised networks to avoid

disposal costs. The first two reasons are the main drivers behind littering behaviour as well.

The Illegal Dumping Strategy promotes the following methods for reducing illegal dumping:

Making dumping more difficult – by using infrastructure such as barriers, lighting or

landscaping




Increase the risk of getting caught by increasing monitoring, enforcement and community

engagement

Reducing the reward for dumping by issuing fines and getting the offenders to clean up

dump sites

Providing convenient alternatives to dumping such as tip passes for residents, drop off

points, affordable gate fees and removing dumped waste promptly

Removing excuses by informing the community through advertising existing waste

services, signage at known dumping hotspots and targeted education.

The same principles apply to reducing littering behaviour by improving infrastructure, awareness

and increasing the likelihood of being caught. The NSW EPA is developing a broad awareness

campaign, providing some funding for regional illegal dumping (RID) squads and developing an

application for capturing increased data for litter and illegal dumping incidents.

Reducing litter and illegal dumping is important to the Kempsey area in order to maintain the

visual amenity of Kempsey’s natural environment and to prevent risks to humans and animals.

Therefore, KSC plans to undertake two key actions in order to reduce littering and illegal

dumping:

1 Gather and analyse data to better understand the sources and causes of litter and illegal

dumping in the Kempsey region

Collection and analysis of data is the first step in understanding the scope and

prevalence of littering and illegal dumping within the Kempsey area. Kempsey Shire

Council plans to implement surveillance initiatives at each of the waste facilities to

increase awareness and opportunities to address illegal and after-hours activities. The

NSW EPA is currently formulating an illegal dumping reporting mechanism, and has in

place a Local Litter Check for councils to understand littering in their areas. Partnership

with local community groups and organisations will assist KSC in identifying areas which

require targeted support for the prevention of littering and illegal dumping.

2 Utilise data to inform remedial actions

Upon identifying regional hotspots and areas for concern and improvement, available

WLRM grants will be sought in order to capitalise on available resources and to provide

funding for decreasing littering and illegal dumping in Kempsey. KSC will also work on a

regional basis to develop regional educational and enforcement initiatives.




6 TRACKING OUR PROGRESS

As described above, this Strategy is a vision for the minimisation of waste, recovery of waste,

and better waste management services within Kempsey to promote economic sustainability in

conjunction with positive environmental and social outcomes. Work will now commence on

implementing the key actions and steps, and in some cases it has already begun under existing

KSC initiatives.

Tracking our progress focusses on two specific elements. Firstly, it is important that the status of

the implementation of the actions and key steps, and progress towards the targets contained

within this Strategy are monitored and reported upon on a periodic basis. Secondly, it is crucial

that the elements of this Strategy are subject to periodic review and revision to ensure ongoing

suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.

Tables 6.1 and 6.2 set out and describe the Strategy’s monitoring and review frameworks,

respectively.




Table 6-1 Monitoring Framework

Timeline Strategy Element Methodology

Annually Targets (KPIs) Measurement of progress against the Strategy targets (KPIs) should be undertaken in accordance with the approach

in Table 5.7 in Appendix B.

The results of the analysis should be inserted into the relevant sections of the Project Tracking Framework

(Appendix C)

Quarterly

(Or as per project-specific

requirements

Key Steps The progress and status of the implementation of the key steps should be undertaken using the framework detailed

in the Project Tracking Framework (Appendix C).




Table 6-2 Review Framework

Timeline Strategy Element Methodology

Annually Objectives, Targets, Action

Plans, and Key steps

Inputs to the annual review should include, but are not limited to:

Changes to overarching legal, policy and strategy context;

Changes to KSC policy context;

Changes to KSC Community Strategic Planning requirements

Adoption of relevant KSC resolutions;

Follow up actions from Management reports

The extent to which the objectives and targets have been met

Advances in science and technology

The review should compile the results from analysis of the above, and any other relevant inputs (e.g. Quarterly and

annual monitoring data), into a KSC report framework and make relevant conclusions and recommendations

regarding any changes or additions to the applicable Strategy elements.

Review of key elements of the Strategy should also be undertaken if major changes to federal and State policy and legislation should occur (including finalisation of

the draft NSW WARR Strategy), and if there are significant changes to waste quantities and/or composition.




APPENDIX A

MEASUREMENT OF PROGRESS AGAINST TARGETS




Table 6-3 outlines the baseline for each target contained in the Strategy and identifies how progress should

be measured against that baseline.

Table 6-3 Measurement of Progress against Targets

Key Area Target Baseline Measurement

Avoid and

Reduce Waste

To reduce waste

minimisation per

capita by 2021-

22

Waste generation

per capita in 2011-

12

503 kg / ea

(see Table 6-4)

Waste generation = total tonnage generated in one year

for the following waste streams:

Residential kerbside residual waste

Residential kerbside commingled recyclables

Residential kerbside organics (garden and/or food

and garden)

Residential residual waste, recyclables and

organics dropped-off at KSC waste management

centres

Residential waste collected through kerbside clean

up collections, should this be introduced in the

future

NOTE: The above waste streams were chosen as these

are the streams currently used by the NSW EPA to

report waste generation in the annual NSW Local

Government Waste and Resource Recovery Data

Reports. However, should the NSW EPA alter its

reporting requirements, the above methodology and the

associated baseline should be revised to include any

additional waste streams.

Per Capita = Kempsey population, which should be

obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics,

Dataset 3218.0, or equivalent, should this dataset be

discontinued.

Increase

Recovery of

Waste

To work towards

increasing the

recycling rate of

MSW to 70% by

2021-22

Recycling rate in

2011-12

46%

(see Table 6-4)

The recycling rate = tonnage of material recycled / total

tonnage generated, in one year.

NOTE: Recycling, in this instance, does not include any

material recovered through an energy-from-waste

process.

The waste streams used to calculate the recycling rate

should be the same waste streams as outlined above for

calculating waste generation. As above, should the

NSW EPA alter its reporting requirements, then the

baseline and subsequent measurements should be

modified in line with the new requirements.




Key Area Target Baseline Measurement

To contribute to

the following

statewide

targets:

Increase the

recycling rate

for C&I waste

to 70% by

2021-22

Increase the

recycling rate

for C&D waste

to 80% by

2021-22

Increase the

waste diverted

from landfill

(across the

MSW, C&I and

C&D streams)

to 75% by

2021-22

Statewide, the

following rates were

reported for 2010-

11:3

C&I – 57%

C&D – 75%

Diversion across

all streams – 63%

Data specific to the

Kempsey area is not

available on

recovery of waste in

the C&I and C&D

sectors.

As reported by the NSW EPA

Improve Problem

Waste

Management

By 2017-18, to

provide all

Kempsey

residents with

reasonable

access to a

facility for correct

disposal of

problem wastes.

Crescent Head

WMC accepts all

‘core’ problem

wastes, household

chemicals, e-waste,

mattresses, EPS,

empty chemical

drums and asbestos.

The waste transfer

stations currently

collect paint, oil,

batteries, e-waste

and EPS.

All problem wastes are able to be accepted at Crescent

Head WMC and the waste transfer stations.

Alternatives are available for residents who have

difficulty accessing the waste management facilities.

Decrease

Littering and

Illegal Dumping

Reduce the

incidence of

illegal dumping

and littering by

2021-22

Baseline to be

developed utilising

EPA methodology.

Hotspots for

targeting to be

decided by KSC.

The NSW EPA is currently devising its reporting

methodology for illegal dumping.

Measurement of littering should be undertaken using the

NSW EPA’s Local Letter Check, unless this is updated

in the future.

3 http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/resources/warr/130294DftWARRStrat.pdf

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/resources/warr/130294DftWARRStrat.pdf




APPENDIX B

DETAILED POLICY CONTEXT




The Strategy document presents a brief summary of the drivers behind the creation of this policy. Outlined below is a more comprehensive list of the various policies, legislation and plans which have informed the development of this Strategy.

Instrument Relevant provisions

NSW Waste Avoidance and

Resource Recovery Act 2001

(WARR Act)

The NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act 2001 (WARR Act)

promotes waste avoidance and resource recovery by developing appropriate

strategies and programs. The WARR Act includes the following objectives,

applicable to a council’s waste service responsibilities:

To encourage the most efficient use of resources and to reduce

environmental harm in accordance with the principles of ecologically

sustainable development;

To ensure that resource management options are considered against the

waste hierarchy;

To provide for the continual reduction in waste generation;

To minimise the consumption of natural resources and the final disposal of

waste by encouraging the avoidance of waste and the reuse and recycling

of waste;

To ensure that industry shares with the community the responsibility for

reducing and dealing with waste;

To ensure the efficient funding of waste and resource management

planning, programs and service delivery;

To achieve integrated waste and resource management planning,

programs and service delivery on a State-wide basis; and

To assist in the achievement of the objectives of the Protection of the

Environment Operations Act 1997.

Draft Waste Avoidance and

Resource Recovery Strategy

(Draft WARR Strategy)

The Draft WARR Strategy replaces the 2007 WARR Strategy and aims to reduce

the environmental impact of waste and improve the well-being of the NSW

environment, community and economy across the following key areas:

Principles

Avoid and reduce waste generation – reducing the amount of material

entering the waste management or recycling systems by using products

and materials more efficiently and avoiding unnecessary product use

Increase recycling – increasing the amount of material that is recycled

within the productive economy

Divert more waste from landfill – increasing the amount of material in the

waste stream that is diverted from landfill to alternative uses, such as

reuse, recycling and energy recovery

Manage problem wastes better – separating and managing materials in the

waste stream that hinder effective recycling

Reduce litter – reducing the presence of litter in the environment

Reduce illegal dumping – reducing the incidence of illegal dumping in the

community.

Targets

Key to delivering the Draft WARR Strategy in the key result areas are the following

targets:

By 2021–22, reduce the rate of waste generation per capita

By 2021–22, increase recycling rates for:

municipal solid waste from 52% (in 2010–11) to 70%





commercial and industrial waste from 57% (in 2010–11) to 70%

construction and demolition waste from 75% (in 2010–11) to 80%

By 2021–22, increase the waste diverted from landfill from 63% (in 2010–

11) to 75%

By 2021–22, establish or upgrade 86 drop-off facilities or services for

managing household problem wastes statewide

By 2016–17, reduce the number of litter items by 40% compared with

2011–12 levels and then continue to reduce litter items to 2021–22

By 2016–17:

reduce the incidence of illegal dumping of waste detected in Sydney

and the Illawarra, Hunter and Central Coast regions by 30% compared

with 2010–11

establish baseline data to allow target-setting in other parts of the

state.

Protection of the Environment

Operations Act 1997 and the

Protection of the Environment

Operations Amendment

(Scheduled Activities and

Waste) Regulation 2008

The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) defines 'waste'

for regulatory purposes and establishes management and licensing requirements

along with offence provisions to deliver environmentally appropriate outcomes.

The Act contains a list of activities that require an environment protection licence,

and, as such, all Council facilities are operated under Environment Protection

Authority Licences.

Under the Environment Operations Amendment (Scheduled Activities and Waste)

Regulation 2008, licensed waste facilities in the regulated area of NSW must pay a

waste and environment levy for each tonne of waste received for disposal (charged

to the waste generator at the point of disposal). KSC is located within the Regional

Regulated Area (RRA) which means that waste facilities within the area are subject

to the levy.

Waste levy The NSW Government imposes a Section 88 Waste and Environment Levy (the S88

levy) on the deposition of waste in the regulated area under the POEO Act.

The levy varies between regulated areas of NSW. As a member of the Regional

Regulated Area, waste generators within Kempsey Shire Council are scheduled to

pay $53.70 per tonne in 2013-14.

This fee is absorbed into rates paid by waste generators. The fee is likely to

increase over time (currently at $10 pa increments) and is a significant source of

revenue for the state government.

Waste Facility Licensing

Waste and resource recovery facilities require licensing in NSW, where there is

potential risk to the environment from their operations. Schedule 1 of the POEO Act

sets out the activities, including waste and resource recovery activities, that require

licensing.

Licencing categories include:

Waste disposal (application to land)

Waste disposal (thermal treatment)

Waste processing

Waste storage

Resource recovery licensing categories include:

Resource Recovery

Energy Recovery





Local Government Act 1993 The Local Government Act 1993 stipulates the conditions under which councils may

charge its residents for the provision of waste management services, and how that

income may be applied.

The Environmental Guidelines:

Solid Waste Landfill 1996

The Environmental Guidelines: Solid Waste Landfill 1996 (NSW Environment

Protection Authority) aims to ensure that landfilling across NSW is conducted in an

environmentally responsible manner, using a performance-based approach. The

areas of primary concern are:

Water pollution;

Air pollution;

Land management and conservation; and

Hazards and loss of amenity.

Waste Less Recycle More

(WLRM)

To assist in achieving the WARR targets, the NSW Government has committed

$465.7 million under the Waste Less, Recycle More: Waste and Resource Recovery

Initiative (WLRM).

Through five key focus areas, the funding package aims to increase recycling

through supporting investment in waste collection systems and infrastructure. The

Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery program will provide $137.7

million over 5 years to support local communities to increase recycling and reduce

illegal dumping and littering through a range of initiatives, and an additional $85.1

million has been allocated exclusively to local government grants.

NSW 2021: A Plan to Make

NSW Number One

In NSW 2012, the NSW Government has renewed commitment in achieving the

2014 WARR Strategy recycling targets by setting this as a key priority (Goal 23).

It also established new priorities for reducing litter (Goal 23), reducing illegal

dumping (Goal 22), and supporting community drop-off centres to improve the

management of household hazardous wastes (Goal 23).

NSW 2021: Mid North Coast

Regional Action Plan

The Mid North Coast Regional Action Plan is a supporting document for the NSW

2021 strategy.

The Plan calls for prioritising the development of a regional waste avoidance and

resource recovery strategy.

Priority actions include increasing recycling, combating illegal dumping and tackling

littering, consistent with Goals 22 and 23 of the NSW plan.

Community Strategic Plan:

Kempsey Shire – Our 20 Year

Vision 2007

The KSC Community Strategic Plan Kempsey Shire – Our 20 Year Vision 2007 (the

Strategic Plan) aims to preserve and enhance the natural environment and lifestyle

enjoyed in the area. Based around 5 key goals, the Strategic Plan provides broad

direction for key local themes across environment, relationships and council

accountabilities. Waste management actions are spread across two strategies as

follows:

1. To protect and enhance the environment

Reduce the amount of waste going to landfill

Manage waste systems in commercially, environmentally and socially

responsible ways

2. To provide employment opportunities

Attract new and creative businesses that add to the diversity of the

Shire's economy

Increase the number of training opportunities available to enhance

skills development in the Shire.





Kempsey Shire Council

Delivery Program 2013-2017

Supporting the delivery of the Community Strategic Plan is the Kempsey Shire

Council Delivery Program 2013 – 2017. Within this program are actions aimed at

minimising the impact of waste management and disposal, including:

Provide a collection service to defined areas

Provide and operate facilities for disposal of waste.

Educate the community on the advantages of waste minimisation.

Re-establish the Crescent Head Landfill facility to better accommodate reuse

& recycling of waste.

Provide improved ways to minimise waste impacts.

Review operation of transfer stations to reduce the cost.

Measures of success for the delivery program established by KSC include:

Quantity of domestic waste material per year disposed to landfill (target

<4,400t)

Quantity of domestic waste materials per year diverted from landfill (target

>6,600t)

Quantity of material reused/recycled as a proportion of the quantity of

material disposed in the landfill each year (target 60%)

Percentage improvement in the quantity of materials diverted from the landfill

per month (target 5%)

Midwaste Regional Waste

Avoidance & Resource

Recovery Strategy 2014-2021

The vision for the Midwaste Regional Waste Avoidance & Resource Recovery

Strategy 2014-2021 is as follows:

Midwaste member councils will use Innovative approaches for increasing

Diversion rates to meet the NSW WARR Strategy targets; prioritising waste

Avoidance and behaviour change, Sustainable regional solutions,

collaboration, and consideration of appropriate Technology for positive

Environmental, social and economic outcomes.

The Key Result Areas include:

1. Avoid and reduce waste generation

2. Increase recycling

3. Divert more waste from landfill

4. Manage problem wastes better

5. Reduce litter

6. Reduce illegal dumping





Kempsey Waste Education

Implementation Plan Strategy

2013-2015

The Kempsey Waste Education Implementation Plan Strategy 2013–2015 focuses

on strategic actions and options that were tabled to deliver measurable outcomes

within budgeted allocations.

The implementation strategies for waste education align with the NSW EPA

Strategic Waste Action Plan (SWAP) and the Midwaste Waste Education Strategy

2010-2015. Central objectives and means of performance review include:

Objective Measurement

Reduce contamination rate of

recycled materials

Comparing numbers of contamination

warning letters with aspirational target of

reducing them by 10% per year

Improve waste recovery Comparing annual recovery rates of

municipal kerbside collected wastes by at

least 5% per annum.

School participation in

recycling and sustainability

initiatives

Number of schools signed up to the recycling

and sustainability networks

Reduce illegal dumping Comparison of tonnes of material cleaned up

in different years to assess the efficacy of

education initiatives

Reporting and management Number of hours spent on WARR reporting

.




APPENDIX C

OPTIONS ANALYSIS




Improvements required to Kempsey’s current waste collection and diversion system were modelled in order

to demonstrate how Kempsey could achieve a 70% recycling of MSW by 2021-22.

Assumptions

The data in Table 6-4 was used as a baseline for modelling, with waste flows projected through to 2021-22

assuming a population increase in line with the NSW Department of Planning growth projections4 and a 0%

waste generation per capita increase. The data in Table 6-4 was sourced from Local Government Waste and

Resource Recovery reports5, with updates to the kerbside tonnages by KSC. Population data was sourced

from the most recent release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Dataset 3218.0.6

Table 6-4 Baseline data used for modelling purposes

MSW Waste Stream 2011-12

Kerbside residual (t) 5,846

Kerbside recycling –recovered (t) 2,575

Kerbside recycling – disposed (t) 266

Kerbside organics – recovered (t) 2,328

Kerbside organics – disposed (t) 25

Drop-off residual (t) 1,831

Drop-off recycling (t) 257

Drop-off organics (t) 1,611

Total Generation (t) 14,739

Population 29,286

Diversion Rate 46%

4 New South Wales Statistical Local Area Population Projections, 2006-2036”, last modified March

2010,http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=yvzXybG72TA%3D&tabid=124&language=en

5 Available at: http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/warr/datareport.htm

6 Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/3218.0Main+Features12012-13?OpenDocument

http://www.epa.nsw.gov.au/warr/datareport.htm

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/3218.0Main+Features12012-13?OpenDocument




The composition of the residual waste stream was taken from the EC Sustainable Audit conducted in 2011,

with the relevant information utilised as per Table 6-5. 7

Table 6-5 Compositional data used for modelling purposes

Waste Stream % of total waste in

residual waste stream

(w/w)

Tonnage in total kerbside

stream potentially able to be

recycled (2011-12)8

Food organics 36.5% 2,133

Garden organics 5.8% 2,666

Recyclable commingled materials 13.5% 3,364

Modelling Scenarios and Results

Figure 6-10 demonstrates the MSW recovery which was achieved in 2011-12, utilising the data from Table 6-

4, and shows three theoretical scenarios for achieving the 70% recycling target by 2021-22 (Scenarios A, B

and C). These Scenarios are outlined in Table 6-6, and described below:

The 2011-12 Baseline represents waste collected and diverted before the FOGO system was

introduced. Utilising the residual waste bin audit and the tonnage of GO collected at the kerbside, it

can be ascertained that 87% of available GO in the kerbside waste stream was collected through the

kerbside GO bins. The recycling rate of material dropped off at KSC waste facilities was 51%, with the

remaining 49% of material disposed to landfill.

2021-22 Scenario A represents an implemented FOGO system which is operating 100% effectively

i.e. all residents are using the system, all food and garden organics are collected through the FOGO

bin and the FOGO bin is not contaminated. Additionally, 100% of available recyclables in the kerbside

stream are captured, and the recycling rate of drop-off materials has improved from 51% to 59%.

2021-22 Scenario B represents a kerbside system which captures 80% of available FO, 95% of

available GO and 100% of available recyclables, while increasing the recycling rate of drop-off

materials to 75%.

2021-22 Scenario C represents a kerbside system which captures 75% of available FO, 90% of

available GO and 100% of available recyclables, while increasing the recycling rate of drop-off

materials to 80%.

Table 6-6 Parameters used for each modelling Scenario

Scenario % of FO captured

from the kerbside

stream

% of GO captured

from the kerbside

stream

% of dry recyclables

captured from the

kerbside stream

Recycling rate of

drop-off materials

2011-12 Baseline 0% 87% 77% 51%

2021-22 Scenario A 100% 100% 100% 59%

7 It should be noted that this composition is indicative only, as the audit sample size for Kempsey was significantly less

than what is considered statistically valid.

8 Includes recyclables captured through the recyclables bin + potentially available recyclables in the residual waste bin




Scenario % of FO captured

from the kerbside

stream

% of GO captured

from the kerbside

stream

% of dry recyclables

captured from the

kerbside stream

Recycling rate of

drop-off materials

2021-22 Scenario B 80% 95% 100% 75%

2021-22 Scenario C 75% 90% 100% 80%

Figure 6-10 Recycling rate achieved under each modelling Scenario, with the contribution of each stream

Discussion

It is clear that the capture and recovery rates under Scenario A, B and C would be extremely difficult to

achieve. Previous studies9 show that an average garden organics capture rate is around 96% and an

average food organics capture rate is 33%. Hence, while there could be scope to increase Kempsey’s

current GO capture rate of 87% to the average of 96%, achieving a FO capture rate of over 75% would prove

very difficult.

Additionally, Kempsey’s current recyclables capture rate of 77% is already significantly higher than the NSW

average of 67%10

, indicating that a significant increase of recyclables capture would also prove quite difficult.

9 Food and Garden Organics Best Practice Collection Manual 2012, published by the Department of Sustainability,

Environment, Water, Population and Communities. Available at:

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/8b73aa44-aebc-4d68-b8c9-c848358958c6/files/collection-

manual.pdf

10 This 67% capture rate was calculated using the information available in Domestic kerbside waste and recycling NSW –

Results of the 2011 waste audits, published by the NSW EPA in 2014.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2011-12 Baseline 2021-22 Scenario A 2021-22 Scenario B 2021-22 Scenario C

Re

cove

ry A

chie

ved

Scenario

Kerbside Residuals Organics Dry Recycling Drop-off Target

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/8b73aa44-aebc-4d68-b8c9-c848358958c6/files/collection-manual.pdf

http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/8b73aa44-aebc-4d68-b8c9-c848358958c6/files/collection-manual.pdf




The potential for increased recovery of drop-off materials is unknown, due to a lack of data on these

materials.

It is worth noting at this point, that the above modelling was conducted utilising an audit which was

statistically invalid, and this could have some impact on the results of the modelling. It is recommended that

a complete waste characterisation audit is conducted of all kerbside bins in order to better identify

opportunities for improvement of recycling.

Notwithstanding, given that the above information is the best available to date, it is recommended that the

NSW WARR target of 70% recycling for MSW be adopted as an aspirational target only. This will induce

KSC to put in place measures to improve recycling within its local government area, while allowing that this

target is unrealistic, unless improved data collection and/or innovative waste practices prove otherwise in the

future.

Documents

KEMPSEY WASTE AND EDUCATION STRATEGY Guiding Principles ... which contains a specific objective, related key ... Waste and Education Strategy 2014-15 to 2021-22—Final Strategy