FAQ

Yes, thank you for your feedback. The community survey was an invaluable tool in developing this strategy. The survey enabled us to identify the challenges and key issues and develop solutions to address them.

We worked with MRA Consulting Group – one of Australia’s leading environmental consultancy firms, specialising in all aspects of waste and recycling. They have worked with many Councils across Australia. See www.mraconsulting.com.au

There are many elements to this strategy that will be implemented over the next 10 years. The plan is for a large amount of the elements to be rolled out over the next 2-3 years.

There were a number of factors that lead to this strategy being developed:

• Waste management practices are changing and we need to ensure that we are not just keeping up with contemporary practices – but also planning for the future.
• Some of Council’s waste operations are running at a loss or could be operating more efficiently – we need to find solutions that reduce both our costs and our environmental impact while still maintaining a high level of service to the community.

No, this strategy will not result in any job losses. Some jobs may change, but it is likely that there will be an increase in jobs as a result of the strategy. For instance, we will be requiring more collection staff when we roll out FOGO and expansion in kerbside services.

Fees and charges are currently being reviewed. We will share this information once it is confirmed.

Waste Management Charge applies to all rateable properties within the Snowy Monaro region. The charge assists Council in meeting the costs of providing waste transfer station facilities to the community, providing community waste education, household chemical collection days, operating the community recycling centres (including the mobile CRC), the cost of rehabilitating landfill legacy sites, providing waste disposal services to rural communities, clean up of illegal dumping activities and servicing of street litter bins.  These are elements of the services which the waste management department provides to all members of the community.

Domestic Waste Collection Charges includes the collection, transport and disposal of waste.

Domestic Recycling Collection Charges includes the collection, transport to and processing fees at the materials recovery facility. 

Bank of Bins is an opt-in application only service available for residents who would prefer the benefits of dropping their domestic waste and recycling at a designated area instead of driving it to a waste facility.

Landfill and Transfer Stations charge on a user pays principle. Charges are based on handling, processing, transport, disposal, and aftercare costs of these waste streams.

Community members can provide feedback via the Your Say page (insert link), by sending a letter to Council or emailing council@snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au.

Come to one of the community consultation sessions (insert link here) or call 1300 345 345 if you have further questions. Feedback will only be considered if it is sent to Council in writing by one of the three methods mentioned above.

There are six transfer stations that will transition to closing – they are Adaminaby, Berridale, Bredbo, Delegate, Nimmitabel and Numeralla. 

However, we are replacing these services with an expansion of kerbside and/or bank of bins services. Both of these services will be implemented and fully operational before any closures take place.

An expansion of kerbside and/or bank of bins services was requested by many of the rural residents that completed the survey.

We are introducing more kerbside collections to our villages – and there is the option of Bank of Bins for rural residents (i.e. outside of the villages). As we will be expanding these services the need for residents to regularly visit a waste facility should decrease.

Otherwise:

• Adaminaby residents can visit our Cooma facility
• Berridale residents can visit either our Cooma or Jindabyne facilities
• Bredbo residents can visit our Cooma facility
• Delegate residents can visit our Bombala facility
• Nimmitabel residents can visit either our Cooma or Bombala facilities
• Numeralla residents can visit our Cooma facility 

As a user of these facilities, there will be no reduction in services. You will still be able to drop off your waste items – they will simply then be transferred to Cooma Landfill. Asbestos and contaminated soil will be required to be directly transported to the Cooma facility for disposal as these wastes require strict disposal measures to enable our staff to safely dispose of this material.

Jindabyne Landfill is getting very close to being full and will have had to close within three years. We have investigated expanding the landfill, which provides no benefit over converting the site into a transfer station. Council aims to reduce its reliance on landfills and we feel developing a new landfill goes against the core vision and themes of the strategy.

This decision has been driven by cost-saving and environmental impacts. Council aims to reduce its reliance on landfills and we feel operating multiple landfills goes against the core vision and themes of the strategy.

Considerable analysis – including carbon footprint modelling - has been undertaken in making this decision. While there will be an increase in truck movements the improvement to landfill operations will significantly lower Council’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Kerbside collection will be coordinated for all village areas throughout the region. The expansion of these routes to residents is proposed in the strategy.

If you live within a village area then kerbside collection will be mandatory. Outside of the villages, this service will likely be opt-in.

Bank of Bins can be set up in a rural area where there is a minimum of six households wishing to participate. If you already live close to a Bank of Bins please contact Council.

Residents that currently use Landfill/Transfer stations are likely paying approximately $240 a year, if they are diligent in their waste minimisation practices. 

Kerbside collection costs approximately $380 (Waste & recycling) a year and approximately $250 a year for Bank of Bins.

The main village areas throughout the region (i.e. those receiving kerbside collection) will receive a FOGO (green lidded) bin in the rollout. Residents outside of the villages will be able to opt-in if they receive a collection and there is enough demand for this service.

The timings of the rollout are still being worked out, however, it will be within the next 2-3 years.

We needed to ensure that we have sufficient facilities in place to process collections.

We will be trailing bulky waste collection for pensioners, concession card holders and people with a disability.

If this goes well, Council will consider the business case for further expansion of this service.

The plan is to roll this out within the next two years.

Bulky collection is an expensive service and we need to ensure that we can service this need without adding additional costs to our waste services. In addition, our population is quite dispersed making the delivery of this service difficult. We had overwhelming support for this service so we are rolling it out to the people Council feels needs this service the most and may further expand the service in the future.

The impacts from Snowy 2.0, at the time of writing, are considered to be minimal on Councils waste infrastructure and services and therefore are not required to be considered under the waste strategy.

The strategy includes the .id population estimates as the waste strategy is being released prior to the SAP master plan cannot include the SAP estimate. A sensitivity analysis has been conducted using the SAP estimates and does not change the recommendations in the strategy.

The likelihood of a rail project to be realised in the strategies 10 year action plan is extremely low and therefore is not considered.

Council operates waste management facilities as a pay for service. If a service is to be subsidised by Council the revenue must be generated through other means. It is not recommended that waste destined for landfill be provided for free as this promotes waste to landfill which goes against the principles of the waste strategy. The fees and charges go on public exhibition every year prior close to the start of the financial year. If a resident believes any service or fee is worth Council subsidising through other revenue they should provide through this process. The waste strategy is not the appropriate process to directly recommend changes in fees and charges.

Full question submitted by resident:

"The criteria for having BOBs is a minimum of six households signing up for it, but how does Council consider where they will be placed - how close to the residences need to be for them to be close enough for a BoB (noting that it is a rural area)? Are residents responsible for organising six households or does council do that in isolation once expressions of interest have been received?"

Council investigates various potential locations for  BOBs to be installed. All areas are then assessed to gauge any necessary works to an area such as if concrete pads are required, potential distance to a bank of bins for residents. After Council has determined the relevant location for a proposed bank of bins, Council requests residents surrounding this location to complete a survey to determine the level of interest. Once this is received Council then determines if the service will go ahead.

The number six is an approximate and not absolute. Prior to establishing the Bunyan BOB Council undertook a survey and received 22 responses. Of the responses 5 agreed to the service, while 17 said no to the service. The Bunyan is currently used by 15 residents.

Infrastructure required varies from site to site. However, materials such as a concrete slab and/or gravel can be used to install the metal bank of the bins frame, ensuring that the area is clear of vegetation and so forth. The frame could potentially be secured to the concrete slab if required, however, the frame itself is quite heavy along with the four 360 litre bins the weight is quite substantial and can withhold against the extreme winds of this area. To date, Council has had no issues with climatic conditions affecting the BOBs already installed across the region.

Council’s Resource and Waste department are responsible for maintaining all bank of bins cages and sites. If illegal dumping occurs the Public Health and Environment team investigate the matter and apply any infringements if evidence allows.

The example provided by the resident:

"Whipper snipping to discourage snakes and tidying of the area when there are accidental spills of rubbish or inappropriate dumping (communal bin areas always have this problem, and suffer from not being a single person’s responsibility- therefore nobodies responsibility)."

Council’s Resource and Waste department are responsible for all bank of bins cages and sites

When site investigations are undertaken locations are predominately Council maintained roads, Council would need to investigate Colyers Road for suitability and access for all residential applicants.

Additional comments to accompany above question:

"We wouldn’t want it to be too close to our residence, nor too close to the road where it would be visible to passing traffic on the Monaro Highway."

The Resource and Waste staff determine the location after assessing each potential site. This is then incorporated into the survey that is posted to residents for their return. Within this survey, residents have the ability to voice if they find the location of the BOB suitable or unsuitable.

Question from a resident: "Apparently nobody is responsible for maintenance of our Crown Road except the residents. It is often difficult for us to get a grader in to maintain our road, with the result that after a year or so, or an extremely bad storm, the stretch from the highway to an appropriate bin location can be a bit degraded (but still quite passable by a passenger car). Would there be a risk of a BOBs on our road not being emptied if the road degraded and we were unable to get it rectified for several months? What communication/assistance would there be from Council about the condition of the road as it related to collection? We wouldn’t want to be cut off from collection without six months or so warning to allow time for rectification. We also wouldn’t be able to bear the cost of more frequent road maintenance than is currently the case."

ANSWER:

The bank of bins cannot be installed on a private road and must be installed on a road, that can be maintained by Council.

The process for signing up for a bank of bins is relatively easy. The person who wishes to utilise the service must have the property owner complete the application form as the charge appears on the rates of the property.

A one off-key deposit is required to be paid which gives access to the bank of bins. Should the key be returned to Council and the service no longer utilised the key deposit is refunded. More information can be found https://www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au/283/Bank-of-Bins

Comments accompanying question " Have you considered an annual rural bulky waste collection where, through a booking arrangement and perhaps a small fee, council could facilitate a large skip bin (or similar) for the six households serviced by a BOBs to share, placed at the same location? This would be so much cheaper than running the transfer station but also go some way towards meeting the needs of rural ratepayers, who already miss out on a lot of other services."

ANSWER: The strategy reviewed the option of a rural bulky collection. Details of this can be found on page 38 and 39 of the strategy. The final recommendation was for option c of the bulky waste collection service which is only available for pensioners and people with a disability.

Resident question: "I have a recollection of the debate I a council meeting, maybe a Bombala meeting I attended, several years ago over the recommendation by the waste committee to purchase the quarry void adjacent to the Jindabyne landfill. Corbett and Ewart were the Councillors making the recommendation I recall."

Council’s electronic records indicate that the site has been owned by Council since at least 1994. Ownership of the site prior to 1994 would need to be verified through a detailed search of Councils physical records.

The follow-up questions are not relevant as the quarry has been owned by Council since at least 1994.

Was this void space purchased?

When was the purchase, if it was purchased?

What was the purchase price?

Who was the vendor?

Council has not considered the long term options for the land. Some land would need to be retained to provide adequate buffer distances for the landfill and sewage treatment plant. 

The operating cost in the strategy is the average of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 financial years. The breakdown of this average cost is:

• Employment and job costs = 54%
• Materials and contracts = 34% (includes waste transport and general maintenance)
• Internal plant charges = 4%
• Internal charges = 7% (internal waste disposal)
• Other = 1% (insurance and printing costs etc.)

Residents follow up question: 

1. If yes, Then what quantity of household recycling was received as well?
2. If no, then could you give the weights of the waste and the recycling in the 9 tons?
3. Could you let us know all the weights and monetary figures for the previous year to the one used?

ANSWER: Details of how much waste is received is available in Table 6 of the waste strategy on pages 15 and 16. Numeralla transfer station receives 26 tonnes of mixed waste (garbage) per year and 18 tonnes of commingled recycling per year. The data provided is a two-year average.

Council currently provides a collection service on several unsealed roads in the area. Prior to establishing a collection route on an unsealed road, Council will undertake an assessment. If the road owner is not managed by the Council permission must be sought from the road manager. The strategy does not include the investigation of specific roads. A proposed action item of the strategy is to undertake an assessment of the collection route and bank of bin network. A subsection of this assessment will likely include road suitability in line with the current process.

Council does not have sufficient detail to determine the requested information.

This information can be found on page 35 of the Annual Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2020. At the end of the 2019-2020 financial year, there was $0 in the Domestic waste management funds and $7,274,000 in the Waste management fund.

Virgin excavated natural material (VENM) is classified as a waste by the NSW EPA.

Council submits an annual waste return for the majority of Council’s waste facilities. The data in this provides the best breakdown of waste types and is validated by Council so provides the best accuracy of waste volumes. Please see attached WARRP Reports.

Residents full question: "Can I also get a confirmation that the strategy has not contemplated, nor considered, the likely or potential locations nor size, intensity/disbursement or even the cyclical operation frequency of the BoB’s that might be required to replace the transfer Stations AND the attendant civil costs with these Bob construction sites?

ANSWER: The strategy has not considered specific locations for Bank of Bins. A proposed action item from the strategy is to undertake a detailed assessment of possible locations. Council has received several requests for bank of bin locations through the consultation period which will be further investigated if approved. Council staff cannot undertake further investigation on the scale proposed in the strategy for suitable locations until the strategy is adopted.

The cost modelling of the bank of bins utilised the real cost of installation of the previous Bank of Bin locations. From these costings, the civil and installation works were incorporated into the cost per cage. The bank of bin location assessment in the past has included a minimisation in the amount of civil works required, which is recommended to be carried through to future assessment of suitable locations.

This option used Nimmitabel as the location of the landfill. The model used the town centre to determine the haulage distance.

No, a key assumption of this option was that the new site would be far enough from Cooma that Council has to operate both a transfer station in Cooma and the new landfill site.

The former Cooma-Monaro Shire Council has twice in the past considered the expansion of the landfill to the immediate east of the current site. Council has not been approved to expand the landfill to the east of the current site.

Yes, the land east of the Cooma Landfill is owned by Council.

The landfill in this option is a Council operated facility.

The total project cost will be consolidated once the project is complete.

The contract value for the modelling and preparation of the strategy is approximately $120,000. Contract 13/3019 on Councils contract register includes the feasibility study for a possible Jindabyne Landfill expansion. This contract also includes a geotechnical investigation, site surveys, design of a new landfill cell, design of a new transfer station and designs for the closure of the current landfill cell. The feasibility study is only a small proportion of Contract 13/2019.