Creating resource-smart communities

The recently adopted Waste Management Strategy 2015-2020 by the Macedon Ranges Shire Council in Victoria could signal a shift in local practice.

Customarily waste management strategies have dealt with kerbside residential collection, litter and landfill systems. Their core principles have been around public hygiene and efficiency of a linear system. However, there is growing recognition that our traditional approach to waste collection undermines the value of the materials to the Australian community, industry and economy.

Recent national and state policies have been calling for a shift to a circular economy supported by improved resource recovery for re-use and reprocessing. These have resulted in a number of national and state investigations of material streams, market demand, price and opportunities.

The challenge has been in how to translate these new policies to practice. Most of the grunt work in waste and recycling is done at a local level. Local councils oversee the largest and most coordinated collection and disposal system in Australia. They carry responsibility for most landfills, clearing the litter and dealing with public education and habits. However, they have traditionally been removed from planning for material re-use and reprocessing for new product. And yet, most local councils, particularly those in regional areas, are intimately connected to issues concerning their local environment and economy. These issues include local industry and employment, land use planning, water and other resource allocations.

Integrating ‘waste’ management into resource management has been part of the focus of the new Macedon Ranges strategy. Macedon Ranges Shire Council is a peri-urban council on Melbourne’s north-western fringe with an agricultural base and town centres such as Kyneton and Gisborne.

Like many regional councils, it is closely connected to its community, environment and the welfare of its local economy. This is reflected in the three goals which specifically call for integrated resource re-use and empowerment of the community to reduce waste and increase re-use and recovery. There are six underlying principles which include typical statements on affordable and accessible waste and recycling services, and two that aim to turn Macedon Ranges into a resource smart community:

1. “Recognise the current and future true cost of resources and waste (economic, environmental and social)”; and
2. “Manage different ‘waste’ streams as resources for specific markets”.

These flow through to six specific goals and targets to 2020 as indicators of successful performance such as: data on materials, value and destinations is available to enable exchange and investment by community, business and government.

The strategy goes on to describe 21 recommended actions which address current and future trends with transport, local economy, population growth, climate change and resource availability. They cover typical local council waste issues of closed landfills, contract management, growing quantities of waste, litter and community education. Unusually, there are also three recommendations that involve both the Council Strategic Planning and Environment team and Economic Development Unit. These teams have responsibility for collecting data, encouraging resource efficiency and market pull for local re-use of materials.

It is hoped that this strategy places the shire in an excellent position for the long term, with accelerated resource recovery, strong local resource recovery businesses and reprocessing and lower costs through reduced waste transported to distant landfills.

The strategy prepared by One Planet Consulting (Helen Millicer with David Rako) was adopted by council in December 2014 following a period of public consultation and is available online: Adopted Strategy. Special acknowledgement is given to the professional work of the council teams, in particular Silvana Predebon, in assisting with the preparation and presentation of the plan.

For further information on the Adopted Strategy, visit www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/Waste_Environment/Waste_Recycling/Waste_Strategy_Review.