Decision report- Carey's Gully Sludge Dewatering Facility - Greater ...

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complaints received by GW and WCC has diminished dramatically, leading to
a perceived increase in the air quality in the local environment.
Policies 8, 10 and 11 seek to avoid, remedy or mitigate the adverse effects of a
possible discharge to air that may have effects on human health, surface and
ground water, soil, plants, animals, and public amenity values. The hearing
panel are satisfied that the applicant has proposed a number of mitigation
measures to ensure that the adverse effects of the discharge are adequately
mitigated. Additionally, the hearing panel consider that the conditions imposed
and the applicant’s mitigation measures (including the OMP) provide for the
continued minimisation of emissions of contaminants to air to adequately
mitigate the adverse effects on the environment, in particular with public
amenity. As such, the hearing panel consider that granting the discharge
permits is consistent with these policies.
13.3.2 Chapter 13 – Waste Management and Hazardous Substances
Objective 2 seeks to reduce and minimise the quantity of residual wastes for
disposal through reuse, recycling and resource recovery. Reusing materials for
the same or similar purposes are ways of making use of resources which would
otherwise be disposed of as waste – and similarly for recycling and resource
recovery.
The hearing panel considers that, overall; the disposal of sludge to landfill does
not fully meet the intent of this objective. For that reason the panel has
imposed as a condition of consent the requirement for the applicant to continue
to investigate the long term options of sludge reuse to continue to be
sustainable.
Policy 5 seeks to promote, as a matter of priority, the concepts of clean
production and waste minimisation and to support all sectors of the community
in the implementation of these concepts and Policy 6 seeks to provide
opportunities for the reuse of waste materials, recycling and recovery of
resources from waste.
The hearing panel consider that overall the intent of these policies is not met,
however; they feel that the conditions of consent, in particular, the condition
requiring the applicant to investigate long term disposal options to provide for
the reuse of sludge will ensure the proposal is consistent with these policies.
13.4 The Proposed Regional Policy Statement
The hearing panel have given consideration to the PRPS when making their
decision; however, they have given it less statutory weight than the ORPS.
Having regard to the mitigation measures that are proposed or would be
implemented by way of conditions of consent, the hearing panel conclude that
the continued operation of the SDF and the disposal of the sludge to landfill
would be consistent with the objectives and policies of the PRPS.