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Report from MWMG Chair, Cr. Heinz Kreutz
Welcome to the November edition of MetroWaste Update. It’s been a transitional time for all local councils with the 2012 Council Elections bringing the opportunity to welcome new faces to the Metropolitan Local Governments’ Waste Forum. I’d like to congratulate all newly elected and re-elected councillors. Sadly, this is also a time to say goodbye to others who have made a contribution to the Forum over the past four years. I thank them for their commitment.
The process for selecting Forum nominated MWMG Board members will also commence shortly. I would encourage elected councillors with an interest in waste and the activities of MWMG to consider putting forward your nominations over the coming weeks. Information on the Board nomination process will be mailed to your council shortly and the information will also be placed on the MWMG website. My experience serving both as an ordinary Board member and as the Board Chair since 2008 has proved extremely rewarding. It has provided me with the opportunity to provide input into the running of MWMG, to share its achievements and to develop a strong knowledge of waste and resource recovery at both a metropolitan and a state level. It has also given me an opportunity to get to know and work with MWMG’s terrific staff and contribute at a strategic level to the future of the Group. Furthermore,
as Board Chair I have learnt a great deal about how to liaise with state government agencies and realised the importance of the Metropolitan Waste Management Group as local governments’ key advocate vis-à-vis with other levels of government and industry players.
In the past month the Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Ryan Smith, released the Draft Victorian Waste and Resource Recovery Policy for public comment. Like many councils, MWMG is preparing a submission to DSE to communicate the issues that we see as essential in the new policy, such as transparent governance structures and the importance of including the local government sector in any discussions and decisions about waste. I encourage everyone with an interest in the waste and resource sector to get involved and ensure they have had the opportunity to comment on the Draft Policy.
Finally, MWMG’s education and engagement team has also been busy planning and organising a major waste education conference to take place next March. ‘Tipping Point: Engagement beyond the fridge magnet’ will be aiming to bring together a wide range of people involved in waste education and community engagement at a municipal level. This not only means waste educators but also litter prevention officers, waste managers, communication officers, economic development officers and others in the community education space. With the speakers and content being finalised as I am writing this update, this is sure to be a great event that will provide inspiration and examples of the direction waste education and engagement is taking in a rapidly changing world. I will definitely attend the conference and hope to see many of you there as well.
Best wishes,
Heinz
Have your say on Victoria’s Waste Policy
The Draft Victorian Waste and Resource Recovery Policy is now available for public comment.
The draft policy was released by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change Ryan Smith on Sunday 28 October.
This draft draws upon previous consultation with industry, government and community earlier this year.
As part of the next stage of the review, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) is seeking comments on the draft policy.
A copy of the draft policy as well as more information on the broader consultation process and on how to make a submission is available from the DSE website.
Submissions are due by Friday 23 November 2012, using the template provided by DSE.
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National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme
The National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme is getting into full swing with a mix of transfer stations and retail outlets now receiving material and dedicated e-waste collection days being held across the Melbourne metropolitan area.
The Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has launched a National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme video. The video is one element of the communication toolkit developed to assist local government in educating the community on the scheme.
More communication toolkit materials will be released shortly and will include a poster, brochure and pamphlet. MWMG will be notifying councils once these are made available.
If you have further questions or would like more information on the roll-out of National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme in metropolitan Melbourne, contact shannon.smyth@mwmg.vic.gov.au (tel: 8698 9830).
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Tipping Point: Engagement beyond the fridge magnet
Taking place on 5 and 6 March 2013 at the MCG, MWMG’s education and engagement conference is addressing waste education and litter prevention directions for the next decade.
Waste and litter management is currently at a tipping point of change. Social media, new technologies, population growth, urban expansion and the review of several key state and federal strategies and policies are pushing educators to develop new skills and explore new territory to engage and create valuable programs for their constituents.
Tipping Point will feature a range of keynote speakers, case studies, workshops and a day of site tours covering the following themes in relation to waste and litter management:
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Mastering buy-in
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Next generation communications
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Emerging solutions.
Registrations will soon open. If you do not currently receive our education network emails (e.g. Ed Net, CLEAN or SEN) and wish to receive email updates about this event, please email web.editor@mwmg.vic.gov.au.
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Update from compost demonstration trials
Compost demonstration trials for strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry crops in the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley regions are well underway thanks to grant support from MWMG.
Compost was applied on all participating farms last autumn.
In the blueberry, blackberry and raspberry trials, growers have reported visual differences between plots with compost application and plots without compost application. Blueberry and blackberry plants look slightly more vigorous with more berries per plant. Raspberry plants look more robust and even with significantly better young shoots strike rate.
Strawberry crops have just come to the first picking and there were no visual differences between different compost applications. Soil samples taken before compost application show very low levels of organic carbon in the soil but Compost Vic is very confident that compost application will increase the levels of organic carbon
At the end of the harvest season soil samples will be taken from all trial plots and compared between and with samples from the beginning of the season. This will help us to assess impact of the compost application on the soil and production system as a whole.
Compost Victoria is extending the trial program to the vegetable and dairy industries with a market gardener from Cranbourne and dairy farmers from Glen Alvie, West Gippsland and Wyuna, Goulburn Valley.
For more information contact MIDO slobodan@wmaa.asn.au (tel: 0422 583 784).
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MWMG welcomes new staff
Stan Vermeeren – Lower Yarra Litter Strategy (LYLS) Project Officer
I've recently joined the MWMG Education Team and will be facilitatinga Business and Stormwater Pollution Project for LYLS - a capacity building program focusing on litter prevention in the lower urban catchment of the Yarra River. I’ll be liaising closely with our key project partners, including EPA, Sustainability Victoria, Melbourne Water and the councils of Boroondara, Melbourne, Port Phillip, Stonington and Yarra.
I’ve just returned from a three year stint as Manager of Green Skills and the Centre for Sustainable Living in Denmark, Western Australia. Prior to that I was working as a Sustainability Consultant and many people in the sector may remember that I was a part-timer at MWMG co-ordinating the Metro Litter Program in 2009.
I have a long background in the waste and environmental education and behaviour change field. I’m really pleased to be back and look forward to working with you all.
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Kevin Harvey - Project Officer, Municipal Programs Team
I started with MWMG in mid October and am currently looking at the learnings from the expanded polystyrene recycling trial and working with councils to investigate potential ongoing post-trial arrangements. In the medium term I will also be involved in the eastern regional organics program and other landfill related issues.
Since leaving the Executive Officer role at NevRwaste in 2008-09, I completed a mix of personal and industry based projects. In between postings in Abu Dhabi and in local government operations, I have renovated three houses and have lost any interest in entering “The Block”.
Now back in the waste and resource recovery industry I look forward to meeting with new and established networks and taking on some of the challenges the industry, in particular Melbourne metropolitan councils, now face.
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