1. James Turnell Assistant Executive Officer Ph: 6770 3847 Email: jturnell@armidale.nsw.gov.au

2. Introduction NIRW Opportunities and constraints concerning waste management in regional local government areas NIRW’s EPA funded regional waste strategy Community engagement and participation in waste management initiatives

3. Northern Inland Regional Waste (NIRW) NIRW was formed in July 1998 and meets quarterly to discuss waste management issues and to organise regional initiatives. NIRW’s membership consists of thirteen (13) Local Government Councils in the North West and New England regions of NSW. The NIRW region comprises a total population of over 183,000 and covers an area of 99,642 square kilometres.

4. NIRW members Members are progressive, collaborative and passionate about waste management Focused on resource recovery Provides a forum for speakers to update members on recent advances: Regulation changes New technology and markets WHS Collective tenders (milk runs): Concrete & metals Mulch & compost Chemicals & used oil

5. Contractor shredding

6. NIRW’s resource recovery achievements

7. Opportunities Waste composition differences between urban and regional areas Agricultural organic residues Markets for recovered materials Organics/carbon Land use Space required for resource recovery Planning constraints Odour Rural communities often more aware of the importance of conserving resources

8. Constraints Sparsely populated Aggregation/ transport costs Distance to markets With exception of organics Communities ability and willingness to pay for greater resource recovery Service levels Competing demands Regulation Environmental Protection Licenses & Waste Exemptions

9. Regional waste strategy Voluntary waste groups identified by the EPA to undertake comprehensive regional waste strategies On behalf of their member councils EPA funded Focus on regional collaboration Economies of scale Regional & sub regional resource recovery nodes (aggregation/ processing points)

10. Community engagement and participation Closing the loop Reducing contamination in source separated waste streams Organics (green bin) Recyclables (yellow bin/black crate) Source separation is key to satisfy end users (markets for recovered materials) Feedback (+ve & -ve)

11. Green bin contamination Note. 1 days worth of contamination manually picked out

12. Thank you Contact details: Michael Pearce (NIRW Chair) E-mail: mickpearce59@hotmail.com Mob: 0488 752 520 Ph: 6775 2520 Alison Leckie (Program Coordinator) E-mail: a.leckie@tamworth.nsw.gov.au Mob: 0428 219 410 Ph: 6767 5044 Jon Beckett (Manager Waste Services, Tamworth Regional Council and NIRW Executive Officer) E-mail: j.beckett@tamworth.nsw.gov.au Mob: 0417 498 287 Ph: 6767 5040 James Turnell (Manager Waste & Drainage, Armidale Dumaresq Council and NIRW Assistant Executive Officer) E-mail: jturnell@armidale.nsw.gov.au Mob: 0428 115 337 Ph: 6770 3847