MWMG MetroWaste News

Dear Subscriber

December 2011

Report from MWMG Chair, Cr. Heinz Kreutz

Welcome to our last edition of MetroWaste News for 2011. As the festive season draws near and thoughts are hopefully turning towards winding down for the year and spending time away from work with family and friends it seems fitting that we also take time out to reflect on what we have achieved over the year.

MWMG is closing off yet another busy year. We are ending the year on a positive note with the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith announcing the successful first round applications to the Metropolitan Strategic Resource and Recovery Fund.

There has also been some important recognition by the Growth Areas Authority about the importance of long term planning for waste infrastructure requirements in Melbourne’s Growth Corridors.

While we are encouraging all our staff to have a break, early in the New Year many staff will be back and hitting the ground running to pick up on a number of important projects. These include finalising arrangements for closing the North West Organics Processing Contract and working on an overarching strategy for organics recovery across the metropolitan region. This important piece of work also needs to consider the changing environment bought about by the price on Carbon.

Staff will also be working towards the launch of the kerbside recycling project, commencing work on two new initiatives dealing with household asbestos, assessing the Round 2 applications to the Metropolitan Strategic Resource and Recovery Fund and conducting a review of the metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan. In particular we will be focusing on Municipal Infrastructure Schedule and the Metropolitan Landfill Schedule.

One of my personal highlights for this year as Chair, has been the privilege to work closely with a terrific board and the wonderful and highly committed staff at the Metro Waste office. I’ve been around local government for a while and the way MWMG has managed to bring state and local government together is quite unique. It’s also been good to see how we have been able to consolidate financially and as a leading waste management organisation in general. Another real highlight was the opportunity to travel to Japan in October at the invitation of the City of Melbourne and the City of Osaka. It was very educative to gain an insight into Osaka’s approach to waste infrastructure and to see what is possible with proper planning and foresight.

In closing and on behalf of the Board and staff of MWMG, I would like to wish everyone a happy and safe festive season. We all look forward to working with you in the New Year.

Funding Announcement Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund

The Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith, announced grants worth $809,000, as part of the first round of the $5.5 million Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund.

Forum Chair and Deputy Chair – Call for Nominations

An election for the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Metropolitan Local Governments’ Waste Forum will be held at the next meeting on 9 February 2012. Candidates can self nominate and can nominate for both roles. Click here to view nomination form.

Growth Corridor Plans

MWMG is preparing a submission to the Growth Area Framework Plans (due 20 December) that will highlight MWMG’s support for the integration of strategic planning for existing and future waste and resource recovery facilities into Growth Corridor Planning.

In this current plan, the Growth Area Authority (GAA) acknowledges the need to consider the impact of existing and planned waste and resource recovery facilities on Growth Corridor Plans and Precinct Structure Plans. The Growth Corridor Plan highlights the importance of undertaking assessments of appropriate buffer distances, potential environmental effects and risk assessments for new developments adjoining strategic landfill and resource recovery sites.

This approach formed the basis of MWMG’s original submission to GAA and is applauded as it provides an essential strategic link between growth area planning and strategic planning for landfills and resource recovery facilities in Melbourne’s growth areas. MWMG will also advocate for the expansion of appropriate buffer zones around strategic organics processing facilities in growth areas.

For further information please contact michelle.lee@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9804).

Resource Recovery Centre Transfer Station Network

Wyndham hosted the last network meeting for 2011, providing the opportunity to launch the first of nine expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling cages that are being rolled out across Melbourne over the coming weeks. The cages have been fabricated with funding received from the Victorian Government’s Driving Investment in New Recycling fund aimed at significantly increasing the volume of EPS being recycled into new products, such as waffle pods that are used in the construction of new homes.

More information about the program is available here.

The network also heard from Smorgon Fuels who are producing Biomax, biodiesel fuel produced from recycled cooking oil.

After seeing first hand the cooking oil recycling facility in Laverton, local councils have been invited to set up cooking oil collection points at their transfer stations.

For more information on cooking oil recycling opportunities contact clarissa.forster@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9802).

Funding to Support Domestic Asbestos

MWMG has recently been a successful recipient of funds from the EPA’s Domestic Asbestos Fund. MWMG will assess strategic options for the handling, removal and disposal of domestic asbestos across Melbourne. It is hoped the project will indentify opportunities to establish an integrated network (removalists, transporters, disposal points and options) to assist in the management of the small-scale quantities of non-friable asbestos that are often encountered when homeowners are undertaking renovations and home improvements.

MWMG has also received a funding offer to develop a statewide communications program in collaboration with Regional Waste Management Groups and councils. The plan centres on the development of a ‘one-stop’ information hub for home owners across Victoria and will support the work being carried out as part of MWMG’s metropolitan asbestos project. This program is conditional to the support of the other State Government agencies involved in the management of domestic asbestos.

Work on these two projects will commence in the new year, and local government will be engaged in these projects as they develop.

For more information on the strategic options project contact clarissa.forster@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9802) and for more information on the statewide communications campaign contact jodie.mcqueen@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9828).

Kerbside Recycling Project (APC Recycle Right at Home)

Following October’s Local Governments’ Waste Management Forum, we would like to welcome Manningham, Bayside, Maroondah and Hobsons Bay City Councils who are participating in the Kerbside Recycling Project.

We now have 28 councils signed up as part of the project. For further information please contact mike.rowell@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9804).

Combined Education Network Day – Farewell from Matt Nelson

Our final Combined Education Day for 2011 was held on 30 November, and provided great insight for determining the directions that the Councils Llitter Environment Action Network (CLEAN) and Local Government Waste Education Network will take in 2012. It’s been enjoyable to see the momentum that has built up over the past year, especially seeing different councils work together on various problem solving scenarios. Participation and involvement in these activities has grown to a point where there is now a great platform and opportunity to move the meetings towards targeting specific issues that are shared across councils, and developing responses that can be utilised metro-wide.

This past year has given many of us an opportunity to highlight significant achievements you have made with your education and engagement programs. Sharing your work and its results with the broader community of local government waste educators, not only validates the energy that you have put in, but allows new ideas and conversations that benefit everyone.

I wish to thank each of you for spending time with us at the MWMG Ed Net sessions in 2011. Although I leave working with you in one capacity, I look forward to building and developing a new relationship with each of you in my new position coordinating the Metropolitan Local Government Waste and Resource Recovery Fund.

Schools Engagement Network (SEN)

The latest SEN session was also held at the Combined Education Day on 30 November, and enabled council officers to review draft documents illustrating some of the support that is currently being provided by councils to schools across metropolitan Melbourne. These documents identify gaps and opportunities for expanding and/or coordinating support for 2012 - 2014.

The SEN session also featured presentations from a range of sustainability education providers, who discussed the services councils can offer to schools. Feedback from the session and ideas on ways to expand support are being circulated to councils for further consultation, helping to plan for funding applications to expand ResourceSmart Schools and for sustainability and waste education for schools across metropolitan Melbourne. For further information contact marion.vangameren@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel 5342 5363).

For Your Information

MobileMuster and Oxfam Unwrapped Join Forces

MobileMuster and Oxfam Unwrapped are asking Australians to recycle their old mobile phones this festive season to help the environment and families in need.

For every two mobile phones recycled by January 31 2012, MobileMuster will give a chicken to a family struggling against poverty in Laos through Oxfam Unwrapped.