Page 6065 - Week 14 - Thursday, 8 December 2011

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Waste—collection and disposal
(Question No 1901)

Ms Le Couteur asked the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, upon notice, on 27 October 2011 (redirected to the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development):

(1) The ACT Government’s Sustainable Energy Policy at page 25 states that the draft Sustainable Waste Strategy “provides a pathway to recover a pathway to recover organic wastes currently sent to landfill”. The draft Sustainable Waste Strategy at page 17 describes two options that were analysed by consultants for collecting and separating house household organic waste in the ACT. These were a third residential organics (garden and food) bin and a mixed residual Material Recovery Facility (or dirty MRF). The strategy states that the consultants concluded that a mixed residual MRF would provide higher rates of organic resource recovery at a lower cost to taxpayers, with the organic waste processed into compost, biochar or energy. Has the Government already decided on a pathway for organic waste recycling prior to the release of the final Waste Strategy as the Sustainable Energy Policy strongly indicates, being that of a dirty MRF.

(2) The ‘Services Agreement’ document, http://www.procurement.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/228103/Services_Agreement_FINAL.pdf calls for the contracted consultant Hyder Consulting to refine and assess five waste system scenarios as part of their recommendations on ‘best performing’ scenarios in a final report on waste infrastructure and procurement services in the ACT, due 28 October 2011. These 5 scenarios include a weekly organic waste collection service for kitchen scraps and garden waste, a fortnightly or monthly garden waste collection service and a dirty MRF facility. How will the Government be taking the recommendations of this Hyder Consulting final report into consideration in relation to organic recycling for inclusion in the final Waste Strategy.

Mr Corbell: The answer to the member’s question is as follows:

1) No, the Government had not decided on a pathway for organic waste recycling prior to the release of the final Waste Strategy. The URS and Eco – Waste reports that were commissioned by the Government did indicate that a third bin collection service for household garden waste or food waste appeared to be a relatively expensive way to recovery resources in the ACT. The draft waste strategy reflected this finding.

Further analysis has been undertaken by Hyder to inform Government considerations of how to best recover organic waste in the ACT.

2) As noted, the Hyder results are being used to help inform Government considerations of how to best recover organic waste in the ACT. This will be reflected in the final waste strategy.

Waste—statistics
(Question No 1902)

Ms Le Couteur asked the Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, upon notice, on 27 October 2011:


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