in this issue - Sunshine Coast Council

Wasting away:
let’s cut landfill by 70%
Cutting down on waste is
a major goal for council
– it is not only one of our
largest ongoing costs, it
also produces more than
two-thirds of council’s
greenhouse gas emissions.
In a bold move in December
2009, council adopted a new
Waste Minimisation Strategy
that aims to reduce the region’s
landfill waste by 70 per cent.
Environment Portfolio holder,
Keryn Jones, said the strategy
would guide council’s decisionmaking
and resource priorities
for the next five years.
So what’s been done so far?
► By June 2010, council hopes
to have a partner in place to
assist in the processing of
construction and demolition
waste from building sites.
► An exciting new alternative
energy initiative to capture
landfill gas and enable emission
reductions was adopted in
December 2009 and council has
been actively seeking a partner
to create a tailor-made contract
to reduce council’s greenhouse
gas emissions by 60 per cent.
► Education was identified as
a major element in the strategy
and the current education
program is being revamped and
increased to cover businesses,
schools and residents.
► All businesses that use
council’s waste services are
entitled to a bulk recycling bin at
no additional cost. In November
“It maps out how council can
reduce the need for landfill,
help educate the community,
raise the bar on recycling,
improve resource management,
create jobs and make the
Sunshine Coast Australia’s
most sustainable region,”
Cr Jones said.
“The strategy gives us the
freedom to work with the
community and industry, adapt
to regional changes such
as population growth and
habits, and investigate new
technologies as they become
available.”
2009, requests for this service
jumped from 12 per week to 104
in some areas of the Coast.
► Within the next 12 months,
council will invite companies
involved in alternative waste
technology to submit an
expression of interest for a new
waste processing facility. This
process will enable council to
select the preferred technology
for the Coast’s waste stream.
► Trials into organic collections
are expected to start in the
2010-2011 financial year.
Council will use the data to
move forward with improved
domestic collections.
► Mattress processing is also
high on the agenda and council
hopes to have a contract in place
within the next 12 months that will
divert about 18,000 mattresses
from landfill each year.
Merging
of the
w a t e r s
From 1 July, Unitywater, the
region’s new water supplier and
wastewater services company,
will provide all Sunshine Coast
residents with water services.
This means residents will no
longer receive water and sewage
charges on rates notices but will
receive a separate bill for these
services from Unitywater.
This new entity is the result of the
Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay
regional councils’ water supply
and wastewater services merging
into a single business that will
service both regions.
The merge is required under the
State Government’s water reform
measures and is the third such
company to be established in
South East Queensland under the
reform.
What else does this mean for
Sunshine Coast residents and
businesses?
► Unitywater will be the region’s
new water supply and sewerage
services distribution and retail
company. It will be wholly owned
by the two councils but will
operate independently under its
own board of directors.
► Residents will continue to
receive the same water and
wastewater services as they
always have, just under the
Unitywater name.
► Unitywater will handle all
water supplies and wastewater
billing and any services enquiries,
rather than the council.
As it is established, the new
business will contact you directly
and help you through the change.
For more information about the
South East Queensland water
reform, visit the Queensland
Water Commission’s website
at www.qwc.qld.gov.au
or council’s website
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.
Encompass March 2010
Sunshine Coast Council 3