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Waste Advisory Committee
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Notice is hereby given that a Waste Advisory Committee of Parkes Shire Council will be held in the Parkes Council Chamber, 2 Cecile Street, Parkes, on Tuesday 7 March 2023 at 11.00am.
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Kent Boyd PSM General Manager
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The Chairperson will declare the meeting open.
Meeting of Council committees are not recorded or streamed to the internet.
Parkes Shire Council acknowledges the Wiradjuri People who are the Traditional Custodians of the Land. I would also like to pay respect to the Elders past, present and emerging of the Wiradjuri Nation and extend that respect to other Aboriginal peoples from other nations who are present.
In accordance with clauses 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 of Council's Code of Meeting Practice, apologies must be received and accepted from absent Councillors and a leave of absence from the Council Meeting may be granted.
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Waste Advisory Committee Agenda 7 March 2023 |
The previous Waste Committee meeting was held on Tuesday 16 August 2022.
Minutes of that meeting were tabled at Council's meeting of 20 September 2022 [Res:22-310]
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Waste Advisory Committee Agenda 7 March 2023 |
All Council Officials must disclose and manage any conflicts of interest they may have in matters being considered at the meeting.
Council's Code of Conduct deals with pecuniary and non-pecuniary conflicts of interest and political donations, and provides guidance on how these issues should be managed.
Council Officials must be familiar with Council's Code of Conduct and their obligations to disclose and manage any conflicts of interest that they may have in matters being considered at this Council Meeting.
Note: Council Officials who declare an Interest at the Meeting are also required to complete a Declaration of Interest form.
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Waste Advisory Committee Agenda 7 March 2023 |
IP&R Linkage: Pillar: Environment
Goal: Our community reduces, reuses and recycles waste.
Strategy: Provide waste services, minimise waste to landfill and promote the widespread adoption of recycling and waste reduction.
Author: Brendan Hayes, Director Planning and Community Services
Authoriser: Brendan Hayes, Director Planning and Community Services
Annexures: A. Minutes
Waste Facilites Meeting 16/8/22 ⇩
B. Clean
Fill Summary Report ⇩ 
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That the Waste Advisory Committee: 1. Recommend the Fees and Charges for Waste Functions be developed to provide the necessary increase in accordance with the report as set out below and be presented to Council in the draft revenue policy. a. Domestic Waste Charges levied against residential properties be increased by 4.0% b. Commercial Waste charges levied against commercial and industrial properties be increased by 9.0%. 2. Recommend the Sewer, Water and General Funds provide $200,000.00 per annum contribution to Waste Income to cover cost of waste delivered by these functions for 2023/24 waste operations. In addition, the contribution be increased by CPI each year, considering 4% for 2023/24 year. 3. Recommend council introduce fee for clean fill or clean soil disposal (VENM or/and ENM) at the Parkes Waste Facility limited to commercial quantity only ($10.00 per tonne). Commercial quantity includes waste transported in bogie-axle trailer, skip bins, and all type of truck loads. 4. Recommend a Rural Tip Availability charge of $50.00 per year to be introduced for access to the rural tips (Alectown, Bogan Gate, Gunningbland, Trundle, and Tullamore). 5. Recommend council increase the fire damage house waste disposal quantity limit from 80m3,(which is equivalent to 80t), to 100t for the fire damage house property. |
Background
Council is required to adopt within its fees and charges its annual fees for its domestic and commercial waste charges. In addition, Council may introduce new charges at its facility to subsidise its costs.
ISSUES AND COMMENTARY
Waste Charges (Domestic and Commercial)
A review of the operational costs post the implementation of the waste facility improvements at Peak Hill and Parkes with the weighbridge data on waste volumes now available has been conducted with a budget developed for the coming financial year.
The operational costs under this budget are expected to be $3.4 million.
Waste function income for 2021/22 was estimated as follows:
Domestic kerbside collection $ 2,310,309.00
Commercial kerbside collection $ 389,767.00
Waste tipping fees at Parkes and Peak Hill $ 672,750.00
The current closure cost liability for Parkes and the village landfills is estimated to be in the order of $1.9 million. Closure of all areas of Parkes landfill would increase this number to the order of $2.7 million. As time progresses these closure liabilities will increase as larger areas are used in waste operations that need to be closed in accordance with NSW EPA standards. Estimates of closure costs across the entire landfills at each their estimated end of life would be in the order of $40,000,000.
Any proposed closure cost amount does not make provision for the construction of replacement waste management facilities such as new landfill sites, expansion of existing landfill sites or transfer stations. Nor would it cover the operation cost of such facilities which would likely be subjected to higher environmental controls in future.
In addition to this known expenditure there may also be potential for increased contractor costs with an increase in the volume of waste coming to the Parkes Facility over and above that estimated in the original contracts and increased operational costs in relation to the Community Recycling Centre proposed to collect problem wastes for disposal by the EPA.
Domestic Waste Charges are levied against residential properties. This charge is quarantined under Section 496(2)(c) of the Local Government Act and can only be spent in the provision of the domestic waste service to that land and cannot cross subsidise other waste functions. This charge is currently as high as it needs to be to cover the costs of this service (including collection as well as components for landfill use and staff management etc). Likewise, any additional funds raised from this charge cannot cross subsidise other waste functions. Accordingly, an increase of 4.0% and 9.0% only would be proposed for the domestic and commercial kerbside collection charges. This would ensure rising costs for this function were covered.
This income from the other council functions will ensure that increases to the charges at the landfill and transfer station and the commercial kerbside collection charges are limited to 3.5% to provide for CPI increase to ensure rising costs are accounted for and provide the additional income needed for the operation of the waste functions and provide funds towards closure costs and fund a waste reserve.
This would take waste collection rates as follows:
· commercial kerbside collection fee (waste and recycling-no organics) from $431.00 per year to $469.80 per year.
· domestic waste charge from $450.00 per year to $468.00 per year.
The mixed waste per tonne price from $67.70 per tonne to $73.80 per tonne after rounding. The 240-litre waste bin mixed waste price increasing from $4.60 to $4.80 or single axle trailer/ute load of up to 1m3 increasing from $18.30 to $19.10 after rounding.
Sewer, Water and General Funds
It is noted the Sewer, Water and General Funds provided $153,750.00 per annum contribution to Waste Income to cover cost of waste delivered by these functions in 2022/23.
However, the amount of waste managed including disposal cost is more than $200,000.00 from the Council departments. Hence, the total Sewer, Water and General Funds contribution to be increased to $200,000.00 plus 4% CPI increase for 2023/24 financial year.
This will bring contribution of the Sewer, Water and General Funds of $208,000.00 to waste operation funds in 2023/24.
Introduction of Charges for Clean fill (VENM or/and ENM soil)
Parkes Waste Facility (PWF) collects more than 25 types of waste at the facility. The major categories of waste are Construction and Demolition Waste, Domestic Waste, Commercial and Industrial Waste.
Clean fill or Natural Soil (VENM or ENM) tops the list in waste quantity that is being disposed at the facility. Around 13,000-15,000 tonnes of clean fill is disposed at the tip on annual basis. Considering the ongoing major project works across Parkes (SAP Project and other council major operation projects), PWF is expecting the volume of clean fill quantity to rise by at least 5,000T.
Following Cost-Benefit Analysis will provide a brief information on type of work and costing categories involved in managing the clean fill at the Parkes Waste Facility:
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Cost-Benefit Analysis |
Type of Cost |
Categories and type of work involved in managing clean fill at the Parkes Waste Facility
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Cost |
Direct Cost |
Stockpile/ storage area, management of clean fill, daily covering, managing surface run-off maintenance, labour cost |
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Indirect Cost |
Weighbridge transaction, operators, record management, Customer request management (bulk quantity disposal only)
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Tangible Cost |
Monitoring of site, ongoing maintenance of the road to access the building and demolition waste area, EPL licence management, Life of the landfill cell
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Intangible cost |
False reporting by residents/businesses on type of waste (claiming clean fill instead of contaminated waste) to avoid fee that can impact ground water quality in long-term
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Benefit |
Benefit |
Soil available free of cost for the daily covering of the waste and managing the facility |
Council recommends introducing a minimum fee of ($10.00 per tonne) limited to commercial businesses only. This includes clean fill transported in Bogie Axle Trailer, Skip Bin Trucks (up to 3cubic metre and above), and other commercial vehicles.
Clean fill, coming from external companies, working on the SAP project will be charges $50.00 per tonne.
Rural Tip Availability Charges
To provide rural town with adequate waste disposal options, council provides access to the rural tips for Bogan Gate, Gunningbland, Alectown, Trundle, and Tullamore towns. Currently, council provides fee free access to these rural Tips.
The following costings are involved in managing the rural tips:
· Regular Tip pushing (at least once in 2-3 months' time)
· Closure of existing cell and digging New Cell (Cells can cost up to $80000)
· Tip maintenance, fencing repairs roads etc
The cost estimation for managing these facilities is expected to be around $150,000 this year.
Council recommends considering a rural tip availability charges per assessment/per property that are entitled to and/or using the rural tips. This rural tip availability charges/fee will assist in subsidizing the waste operations budget and enhance the performance of the rural tips. It is estimated that approximately 1500 assessments will have a charge raised against them with an income to council of approx. $75000.
Increasing quantity for Fire Damage House Disposal Waste
"Fire Damaged House containing Asbestos - Mixed demolition waste containing asbestos produced by single fire damaged house (up to Maximum of 80tn after which amount normal asbestos waste rates apply) where due to nature of demolition required asbestos cannot be removed prior to demolition. Disposal and transport regulation under Protection of Environment Operations Act must be adhered to in transport and delivery to facility."
The number of fire damage house in the year 2022 is approx. 10 - 15 properties.
Initially the accepted quantity measurement unit was (m3), which is now changed to 80tonnes which is charged at a set maximum of $5000.
Assumption, 1m3 = 1 tonne, hence 80m3 = 80t
This 80t of waste will be increased to 100t for 2023/24 financial year onwards maintaining the $5000 maximum.
Legislative and Policy Context
Nil
Financial Implications
The suggested increases in charges are considered appropriate to deliver the waste services.
Risk Implications
The increase in charges will assist Council in ensuring a financial and environmentally sustainable Waste Service delivery.
Community Consultation
The changes in the fees will be advertised in the council draft Fees and Charges prior to forma Council adoption.
Conclusion
The committee is requested to consider the proposed changes and recommend to Council for formal adoption.
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Waste Advisory Committee Agenda 7 March 2023 |
8 Report of Confidential Resolutions
In accordance with clauses 14.22 and 14.23 of Council's Code of Meeting Practice, resolutions passed during a meeting, or a part of a meeting that is closed to the public must be made public by the Chairperson as soon as practicable. Such resolutions must be recorded in the publicly available minutes of the meeting.
