Report from MWMG Chair, Cr Les Willmott

Welcome to the May edition of MetroWaste news.

As you may be aware, I have been appointed by the Governor in Council as Chair of the MWMG Board until the next local government elections in 2016. This follows my successful board nomination by members of the Metropolitan Local Governments’ Waste Forum.

Having served on the Board since the formation of the group, I have really enjoyed my time and it is such an honour to be now appointed as Chair. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing chair Councillor Heinz Kreutz, who passed on the baton of the Chair’s role but will continue in his capacity as a board director.

The Board has a very busy mandate this year. The Victorian Government has recently outlined its vision for the state’s waste and resource recovery activities in its waste policy document ‘Getting Full Value’ and through recent budget announcements.

Sustainability Victoria is preparing the Statewide Infrastructure Plan and MWMG is working to integrate the detail underneath that plan through our metropolitan procurement roadmap, the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan.

Through these activities the outcome will give a clear vision for waste management and resource recovery in the metropolitan area, down to the level of local governments and their communities.

It is the role of this group to build the capacity of both local government and industry to ensure opportunities are embraced.

From my experience, MWMG is held in high regard for its ability to achieve this and I look forward to being able to continue to maintain its integrity and strong working relationships with councils, agencies and the Victorian Government.

Review of the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan

The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan articulates the long term direction for resource recovery and waste management in metropolitan Melbourne. The plan identifies short term and long term waste infrastructure needs and schedule the development of metropolitan landfill sites. The requirement to develop a plan is outlined under the Environment Protection Act.

The first and current Strategic Plan was released in 2009 and has provided the direction for MWMG’s business planning and key priority actions. Outcomes of the plan include an Organics Strategy for Melbourne, MWMG’s procurement model for waste facilities, planning amendments and education initiatives. To read more click here.

A review of the current plan is now underway. To find out more about the detail outlined in the plan and the review process click here.

Congratulations to the Victoria in Bloom award winners

MWMG was very proud to sponsor and present two awards, Best Sustainable Garden and Best Common Area, at the Statewide Victoria in Bloom Awards Ceremony on 24 April. We would like to congratulate Huong Pham, Best Sustainable Garden winner, and Helen Rauschenbach and Dorothy Kiely, Best Common Area winners. (Pictured from left to right: Rob Millard, MWMG CEO, Huong Pham and the Minister for Housing, The Hon. Wendy Lovell)

Victoria in Bloom is a garden competition program run annually by the Department of Human Services, Public Housing Unit which this year celebrates 75 years of public housing. The competition is designed to encourage tenants living in public and community housing to participate in gardening activities.

During the awards campaign and at the ceremonies, MWMG promoted awareness of recycled organics products and the use of recycled products through the distribution of information sheets on garden organics recycling and compost and mulch application.

For more information, please contact zandy.powell@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9809)

Litter update

The development phase of the Lower Yarra Litter Strategy (LYLS) program is complete. We have baseline litter data for each of the project sites and all the information resources have been developed and printed. Site visits to help local traders in Hardware Lane learn about how to better protect stormwater and the Yarra River commence next week.

MWMG is partnering with the Department of Environment and Primary Industries (formerly DSE) on the new ‘Cleaner Yarra and Port Phillip Bay Litter Hot Spot Project’ scheduled to commence in July. Planning and recruitment for this project is underway.

For more information please contact stan.vermeeren@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9829).

Supporting Communities for Nature and Adopt-a-Tree

MWMG is a proud sponsor of Communities for Nature, improving the soil with recycled composted material and planting native ground cover and shrubs on 150 Moreland nature strips. This project has given MWMG the opportunity to trial partnering with a community-based organisation as a strategy to reach households. In this case to help them to better understand how the organics recycling service works and the types of recycled organics products that can be made from garden organics materials collected through the kerbside collection service. Read more.

World Environment Day - 5 June 2013

The World Environment Day (WED) theme for 2013 is Think.Eat.Save. an anti-food waste and food loss campaign to encourage you to reduce your 'foodprint'. By taking simple actions, like planning your weekly meals you can reduce the huge amount of food, resources and inputs that are wasted each year.

In the lead up to WED, MWMG will be putting up food waste facts and tips on reducing your foodprint on its lunchroom fridge and holding an afternoon tea with a quiz on food waste and homemade treats from staff using food already in their fridge and pantry.
Read the full story here.

MWMG sponsorship of International Composting Awareness Week - delivers benefits for metro councils

MWMG has recently brokered a 12 month sponsorship arrangement with the Centre for Organic and Resource Enterprises (CORE) to support International Composting Awareness Week (ICAW) and National Organics Week (NOW).

As part of the sponsorship package metro councils are encouraged to promote composting related events over the year and in the lead up to Composting Awareness Week 2014 (Note the events pages are not just for events/promotions running during the specific event weeks). Events can be automatically posted to the ICAW and NOW websites.

Both ICAW and NOW have active Facebook and Twitter accounts - offering councils another great opportunity to promote relevant events, links and articles.

The Costa images used during the ICAW and NOW campaigns can be used by MWMG and member council during and after each event. 

CORE is also offering metro councils the opportunity to pledge their support for Compost Week by adding council logos to partner pages. To provide your logo and find out more information please contact Cecile Plantade from CORE.

Waste Wise Melbourne Network: Call for sponsors

Sponsorship is being sought for the Waste Wise Melbourne Network (WWMN) for 12 months commencing July 2013. To find out more about the network and sponsorship packages click here.

For any queries regarding sponsorship or network membership, please contact ellen.regos@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9805).

For your information - MAV container deposit study

The Municipal Association of Victoria in partnership with Sustainability Victoria recently commissioned an analysis of the financial impacts on Victorian local government from a container deposit system. The report found both winners and losers within the local government sector, with the financial impact differing depending on an individual council’s specific circumstances.

In general, councils that pay for kerbside materials to be sorted and processed would be better off as the value of the materials would rise; but other councils who currently receive a payment or rebate would lose revenue as the overall volume of kerbside materials reduced under a container deposit scheme (CDS). In general, rural councils could make financial savings under a CDS, whereas many metropolitan councils who receive rebates would lose revenue. Sustainability Victoria and the MAV are working to make the MS Excel 'calculator' available to individual councils to assess the impact for themselves. For further information contact Ben Morris at MAV.