Blaxland - Blue Mountains City Council

Have Your Say
You are invited to find out more or to provide your comments and ideas on the waste management facility upgrade
by:
• Visiting - www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au
• Calling the - Blaxland Waste Management Facility EIS hot line - 1800 810 680
• Writing to - Blaxland Waste Management Facility Upgrade, Reply Paid 65079, Sydney NSW 2000
• Emailing - communityinput@ghd.com.au
• Attending the Open Day on 6 December 2003 from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm. On this day you can take a tour of the site,
view waste management displays and speak to representatives from the project team. The meeting point and
displays will be at the Warrimoo Citizens Hall, Great Western Highway, Warrimoo. Tours will leave from the Warrimoo
Hall carpark at 10.00 am, 11.00am, 12.00pm, 1.00am and 2.00pm.
Timeline for Consultation Activities
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Blaxland
Waste Management
Facility Upgrade
NEWSLETTER No.1
Blue Mountains City Council is proposing to extend
the existing landfill located within the Blaxland
Waste Management Facility on Attunga Road,
Blaxland.
This initiative will provide better and more costeffective
services to ratepayers.
Council has adopted associated strategies to
manage and reduce waste disposed to landfill.
This newsletter provides further details of the
proposed upgrade.
Blue Mountains
City Council
The vision for waste in the Blue Mountains
Council is committed to the development of waste
management strategies to reduce waste and maximise
conservation of natural resources. Council's integrated
approach to waste management includes adoption of a
"whole of city" waste minimisation strategy. This
strategy includes provision of domestic recycling
services, kerbside green waste chipping, household
chemical collections and an annual spring clean up.
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NEWSLETTER FEATURES
• The vision for waste in the Blue
Mountains
• The proposal
• Why extend the landfill
• The impact assessment process
• Managing waste in the Blue Mountains
for the future
• Have your say
Blaxland Waste Management Facility Entrance
Council’s dedicated waste education resource centre
provides waste education services to schools,
businesses, community groups, and other interested
groups. Education includes promotion of the
principles of the waste management hierarchy:
REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE.
BLAXLAND WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY UPGRADE COMMENT FORM
BLAXLAND WASTE MANAGEMENT FACILITY
REPLY PAID 65079
SYDNEY NSW 2000
No
Postage
Required
Blaxland Waste Management Facility Entrance
Understanding the decreasing capacity of the two local
landfills, Council undertook a review of options for the
future management of waste. This was part of the
development of a waste management strategy that was
adopted by Council in April 2003. The review examined
the combination of waste management options
including extension of the local landfills, investigation of
alternative waste processing technologies, and the
possible transfer of waste to facilities outside the
council area.
You are Invited to an Open Day
6 December 2003 from 10.00 am - 3.00 pm
Featuring information on the project, site tours and displays.
Location: Warrimoo Citizens Hall, Great Western Highway, Warrimoo
Further details enclosed

The Proposal
The proposal is to extend the landfill utilising an existing quarry area adjacent to the currently filled areas. The proposal
also involves the upgrade of the existing weighbridge and gatehouse, and creation of a small vehicles tipping area and
recycling area. The proposed redevelopment will also contribute to the continued improvement of environmental
practice at the landfill.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared as part of the process of seeking Development Approval.
Blue Mountains City Council has engaged consultants GHD to prepare concept designs and undertake both the
environmental assessment and the consultation with the community for the proposed upgrade.
Alternative waste technologies offer possible solutions to divert wastes from landfill, but they still generate residual
wastes that need to be managed. Also the timeframe for implementing such solutions extends beyond the current
operational life of the existing landfills. Therefore an interim solution is needed, to permit long term strategies such as
alternative waste technologies to be implemented in a considered way.
Extension of the Blaxland landfill combined with existing recycling initiatives by Council should meet the requirements
for the Blue Mountains area for at least 15- 20 years. This Council initiative is an effort to provide better and more costeffective
services to ratepayers and is occurring alongside the development of strategies to manage and reduce waste
disposed of to landfill.
The Impact Assessment Process
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared over the next few months. This will provide the public and
the Blue Mountains City Council with details of the proposal including potential environmental impacts and the
proposed mitigation measures for these impacts.
Studies will be undertaken to assess the impacts on: land use, geology, soils, hydrology, flora and fauna, heritage,
archaeology, visual amenity, noise, air quality, and traffic. During preparation of the EIS there will be opportunities for
community input including attendance at open days, newsletters, and via the project website and hotline. Community
feedback and actions taken as a result of this input will be reported in the EIS.
The EIS will be displayed for public comment in early 2004. Following a public exhibition period of one month, the EIS
will be submitted as part of the Development Application for assessment by Blue Mountains City Council.
Managing waste in the Blue Mountains for the future.....
Upgrade of the Blaxland landfill has been identified as providing "breathing space" for other solutions with the longer
term objective of reducing reliance on landfills.
At this stage it is not proposed to extend landfill capacity at the Katoomba waste management facility. Future plans for
the Katoomba site are yet to be approved, but one possibility is that a waste transfer station would be established at
Katoomba when it reaches capacity (in approximately 4 years) from which waste will be transferred to Blaxland or elsewhere.
A transfer station at Katoomba would reduce transport costs and would also permit local residents in the upper
mountains to continue to take their household waste to the current Katoomba site. Future plans for the Katoomba waste
management facility will be subject to a seperate environmental approval process.
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Map reproduced with permission of UBD. Copyright Universal Publishers Pty Ltd DG08/03.
Map of the site
Name
Please place me on the mailing list to be informed of the progress of this proposal
Organisation (if applicable)
Why extend the landfill
Present estimates suggest that the remaining capacities of the Katoomba and Blaxland landfills will not be sufficient to
cope with future solid wastes generated in the Blue Mountains area. The estimated operating life (based on current
waste generation rates) of the Blaxland landfill is approximately 18 months.
Address
Telephone business hours
after hours
Postcode
Please provide your comments in relation to the Blaxland Waste Management Facility upgrade below. (Please attach
additional information if required)
With no local landfill capacity, waste from within the region would need to be transported to landfills located outside of
the Blue Mountains local government area. There would be additional costs associated with waste transfer and
disposal outside the area due to transport costs and charges from other councils, state government levies or facility
operators. These additional costs would need to be met through significant increases in rates and gate charges.
Therefore it is important that local waste management solutions and disposal options are developed within the city.