1. Effective waste management in Central NT
Remote waste management best practise

2. What changes are we making
CAWMWG
Challenges
Why Change
What changes are we making
New Issues
Why Separate
Moving Forward
Overview

3. Central Australia Waste Management Working Group
Formed in 2012 with members including; BRC, CDRC, MRC, NT Department of Environmental Health, NTEPA, DHCD, NT Worksafe and LGANT.
Aim to work together to develop sustainable and best practise waste management for remote communities in the Central Australia.

5. Communities CAWMWG services 33 remote communities
Populations range from approx. 100 to 800 people

6. Best Practise
We are trying to achieve Environmental Sustainability by;
Maximising resource recovery and waste to landfill is minimised.
By meeting Occupants service requirements satisfactorily.
Achieving statutory obligations of any predicted waste streams.

7. Councils Budgets include
Providing bins where required including;
Households
Businesses & Government buildings
Public Places
Emptying the bins
Effectively dispose of the waste to comply with statutory requirements.
Landfill Management

8. Extras Include; Picking up Litter from community events
Remediating illegal & legacy dumping sites
Removal of car bodies from yards
Storage of car bodies
Leading Community clean ups projects
Maximise resource recovery
Community litter education beyond the levels of other state councils

9. Challenges Limited Income (rates cover only 2% approx. of costs)
Limited waste infrastructure or cost effective access to markets for recyclables.
Recruitment and ongoing retention of staff is a challenge.
The vast distances and poor road conditions between communities (towns) restricts viable opportunities to remove and transport recyclables and hazardous wastes to appropriate facilities.

10. Challenges cont.
Landfill are generally designed below minimum standards for environmental protection.
Few regional councils can afford the cost of relocating or redesigning existing landfills to achieve best practise standards.
And the selection of land can be impeded by the need for landowner consent, and the complexities with identifying appropriate custodians of the land.

11. Why was change needed

12. Poor waste management practises
Community and Environmental Effects
Issues
Contamination of groundwater & soil
Dust
Vermin & Bacteria
Fire & smoke
GHG production
Runoff into water bodies
Weeds
Odour
Infection & Disease
Long term health problems
Deterioration of drinking water quality
Environmental degradation and destruction

13. Why Change RESULT COMBINE Tidy Towns Best waste practises
Clean environment
Better quality of life
Bridging the gap in indigenous life expectancy
Best waste practises
Reducing Smoking
improved personal and household hygiene
improved diet

14. How are we making the change
Upgraded Procedures
Improve Staff training
Updated Facilities
Create Recycling Facilities & Opportunities

15. Providing Training & Direction

16. Upgrade Facilities

17. Improving waste separation
Installing Public Drop Off Bays

18. Locking Council Compounds
Limiting Public & contractor access
Creating Clean recyclable stockpiles

19. Proper Burial of General Waste
Improved pit design
Stepped sides
Bund walls around perimeter
Ramped entrance
Clean fill stockpile

20. Better Signage Standardised landfill signage Colour coded
Pictures for drop off bays
Pit and stockpile signage

21. Progress in 5 Years

22. New Issues 5500 Vehicle stockpiles at community landfills & growing
Stockpiles are growing (metals in excess of 480 tonnes)
5500 Vehicle stockpiles at community landfills & growing

23. What Markets are currently available
SCRAP METALS & VEHICLES
CONTAINER DEPOSIT

24. What markets are currently available
Tyres
Alice Tyres
Beaurepairs
Ewaste
Techcollect

25. Issues with getting product to market
Industry wants councils to complete all the work and wear the costs.
Bale and transport to sealed road for collection.
Pay well below market rate or charge to collect.
The cost to Freight or no interest from transport companies to back load because it is a waste product.
Industry inability to send staff or plant to community.

26. Why continue to separate & stockpile?
Because waste volumes will continue to increase.
Metal is worth approx. $400 plus per tonne to industry.
Councils could see an income ($100-$150) per tonne to finance the removal of metals and other stockpiles.
There’s a cost to bury (upwards of $200 m3).
Industry costs to service our communities will only increase! (So its cheaper now!)
It’s poor environmental management not to!

27. Game plan to get recyclables off Communities
Combine recyclable volumes as a working group/s
Store materials at centralised depots close to sealed roads e.g. Alice Springs Hermannsburg, Imanpa, Ti Tree, Tennant Creek
Transport material to depots utilising existing plant operations (e.g. back loading or during towns visits)

28. Game plan cont.
See materials as commodities (e.g. scrap metal) and use this income to fund other materials and transport to markets.
Seek funding for equipment to bale and transport materials

29. Moving forward Much better community buy in Assistance from government
Grants (e.g. Regional Recycling group)
Know our volumes
Understand our waste management costs
Improve budgets
Create markets and transport options

30. Thank You