AS part of the Federal Government’s plan to have nothing going to landfill by 2020, the Wagin Shire has employed a site attendant at the Refuse Disposal Facility.
Jenny Stroud has been in the position for the past three weeks and brings three years’ experience with her, having worked previously for the Cowaramup Transfer Station in the Augusta-Margaret River shire where there was extensive focus on recycling.
Chief executive officer John Hunter said one of the important aspects of waste management was the separation of waste materials and that was a large part of Mrs Stroud’s role.
“It is necessary to have someone at the tip who is skilled in this process to direct people to the appropriate place in the waste receival areas to keep like with like,” Mr Hunter said.
“It is also necessary to have someone there to work with the public as we go through the public education process and ensure that the right material is being left in the right area.”
Mr Hunter said Wagin’s tip face had a limited life space and it would cost about $300,000 to get the approvals necessary for a new tip under the government’s current waste management strategies.
“That does not include the cost of the land and set up costs which together can easily double that price,” he said.
“The shire is working to extend the life of the tip face as long as possible by taking out anything that can be recycled or re-used.”
Mr Hunter said council was currently being advised on waste management issues in a large part by the waste management advisory committee, whose first priorities have been to deal with the Regional Strategic Waste Management Plan which contained a number of recommendations concerning the Wagin tip site.
“Council has recently adopted the committee’s recommendations,” Mr Hunter said.
“The tip site can only keep operating if the shire implements recycling measures as a high priority.
“The first part of the plan is now being implemented; people will have noticed the changes that have taken place at the tip.”
Mr Hunter said those changes, as well as generally cleaning up the site, have involved designation of specific recycling areas and monitoring the public’s use of those areas.
There has also been some basic infrastructure put in place with some more to come, principally around access and easy movement of traffic, he said.
The committee is working on a further development plan which will be part of council’s budget process, which has already started.
Supervision of the refuse site means loads of rubbish will now be checked thoroughly and what it includes will determine what it will cost to dispose of.
“Generally, most visits to the tip should not incur a cost if the material is appropriately separated and deposited in the correct areas,” Mr Hunter said.
“The only material that has to be paid for is that which is going into the tip face, which should only be material that can’t be recycled or re-used.
“Each ratepayer, who pays the waste levy, will get six tip passes which allows them to place material in the tip face for free.
“Most household material like green waste and recyclables now going to the tip can be left for free anyway.
“Each year council sets its fees and charges for the different services it provides and the tip fees were set as part of that process.”
Mr Hunter said he hoped that as the site got more organised there should be less and less going to the tip face and more going to the recycling areas.
With the addition of a new site attendant comes new hours of operation for the refuse disposal facility.
Changes have been made to existing signs at the site to inform the community of the new hours which will see the facility closed on a Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and open from 7am to 12pm on Tuesday, 1pm to 6pm on Friday, 11am to 6pm on Saturday and from 7am to 6pm on Sunday.
The new hours and opening times came into effect on November 8.
Mr Hunter said he had received phone calls seeking clarification of what was happening at the site but other than that there had been little direct feedback to council.
“However, through contact with many community groups the changes being implemented to waste management in Wagin have broad community support,” he said.
Brochures on the new hours of operation and changes can be obtained from the new office located just inside the gates of the refuse site.
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