Waste Management Strategy
With the commissioning of the Waste Transfer Station on Macs Reef Road in Bywong, the material in this section of the website is largely only of historical interest. It documents the process by which the Wamboin and Bywong communities encouraged Palerang Council to reconsider its original waste management strategy and incorporate a waste collection facility in the Bywong/Sutton/Wamboin area.
Historical Overview
Waste management has been a particular issue for Bywong, Sutton and Wamboin residents since 2004, when Council first presented drafts of its 25 year Waste Management Strategy and advised its intention to close Council landfill sites. While the replacement of six of the seven original landfill sites in Palerang with Waste Transfer Stations was part of this strategy, there was no plan to replace the landfill site on Macs Reef Road. In is strategy document, Council proposed that Bywong, Sutton and Wamboin residents would either use the Bungendore Waste Transfer Station, or pay for a local roadside collection service.
This issue came to a head when Council passed a motion, at its April 2009 meeting, to conduct a trial of a roadside collection service in Bywong, Sutton East and Wamboin. This action was taken against the recommendation of Community Associations representing all three of these areas. Following more vocal opposition from the communities involved, Council agreed, at its May 2009 meeting, to conduct a formal survey in affected areas to determine current community attitudes towards future waste management strategies, before proceeding with any roadside collection trial.
A Waste Management Working Group, comprising council staff, councillors and community representatives, was established to monitor the development of an appropriate waste management strategy for the Bywong, Sutton East and Wamboin areas. The proceedings of the WMWG are available by following the Working Group link in the menu at left. To date, however, following an overwhelming response to the survey prepared by the WMWG, Council has cancelled its plans to trial a roadside collection service and agreed to proceed with the construction of a waste transfer station at the Macs Reef Road landfill site, to be operational before the landfill site is closed.
This area of the Web site was established to provide information to residents who are interested in the issue of waste management in our area. Also, for those who may be interested, the Bywong Community Association has prepared a simple FAQ sheet, available from their website, on the planned WTS.