Supplementary Agenda of General Meeting

Mayoral Minute No. MM25/18

Date of Meeting: 12/12/2018

15 SAVE OUR RECYCLING

The Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (POEO Act) requires licensed waste facilities in the regulated area of NSW (including the Sydney metropolitan area, the Illawarra and Hunter regions) to pay a contribution to the NSW Government for each tonne of waste received at the facility. Referred to as the 'Waste Levy', the levy aims to reduce the amount of waste being landfilled and promote recycling and resource recovery.

The NSW Government, through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act and Strategy, has also established a resource recovery target of 70% for domestic waste, which is managed by local government on behalf of residents through the provision of municipal waste management services.

Hornsby Shire is currently only achieving 44% resource recovery and additional funds are critical to improving our community’s waste management performance. Councils fund their waste management services through the Domestic Waste Management Charge to residential premises, and a portion of this charge is associated with the Waste Levy.

The Waste Levy raises substantial funds for the NSW Government however only a small proportion is invested back into waste related infrastructure and initiatives to improve resource recovery outcomes. Overall the NSW Government’s Waste Less Recycle More initiative allocates $801 million over 8 years (2013-2021) to waste and recycling, however the Waste Levy collected over that same period will be over $4.62 billion.

At a local government level, just 18% of the $300 million collected from the local government sector each year is reinvested in recycling and waste management. In 2018/19 the Hornsby community will pay around $5 million in Waste Levy payments through Council’s waste management services, while receiving less than $200,000 in grant funding.

Presently very little of the Waste Levy is currently used to support waste minimisation, recycling and resource recovery with the remainder returned to consolidated revenue.

Hornsby Shire Council submitted a motion to the recent Local Government NSW Conference calling for Local Government NSW to lobby the NSW Government to significantly increase the annual amount of grant funding available for local councils under the Waste Less Recycle More, Waste Levy Program to broadly support waste related initiatives of local government.

At the Conference a motion was unanimously endorsed calling for the NSW Government to ensure that 100% of the Waste Levy arising from section 88 of the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 be used for waste infrastructure and programs, predominantly by local government and the waste sector for initiatives such as:

· Development of regional and region-specific solutions for sustainable waste management (e.g. soft plastic recycling facilities, green waste, waste to energy).

· Support innovative solutions to reduce waste and waste transport requirements.

· Protect existing and identify new waste management locations.

· Local community waste recovery and repair facilities.

· Funding a wider range of sustainability initiatives, such as marketing and strategies that promote and support a circular economy.

In line with the resolution passed at the annual conference, Local Government NSW have recently launched a Save our Recycling campaign calling for the reinvestment of 100% of the Waste Levy collected each year by the NSW Government in waste minimisation, recycling and resource recovery.

This is not a party-political issue, with the Local Government NSW’s Save our Recycling advocacy initiative calling on all parties and candidates to commit to the 100% hypothecation of the Waste Levy to the purpose for which it is collected. I recommend that Council endorse this initiative.

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council:

1. Endorse Local Government NSW’s campaign, Save Our Recycling, to realise the reinvestment of a 100% of the Waste Levy collected each year by the NSW Government in waste minimisation, recycling and resource recovery.

2. Make representation to State Members, Matt Kean MP, Damien Tudehope MP, Alistair Henskens SC MP and Dominic Perrottet MP in support of this campaign objective - for the NSW Government to commit to reinvest 100% of the Waste Levy in waste minimisation, recycling and resource recovery.

3. Write to the Premier, the Hon Gladys Berejiklian MP, the Opposition Leader, the Hon Michael Daley MP, the Minister for Local Government and the Minister for the Environment, the Hon Gabrielle Upton MP, and the Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Penny Sharpe MLC, seeking bipartisan support for the 100% reinvestment of the Waste Levy collected each year into waste minimisation, recycling and resource recovery.

4. Take a lead role in activating the Local Government NSW Save Our Recycling campaign locally.

5. Endorse the distribution and display of the Local Government NSW Save Our Recycling information, as well as involvement in any actions arising from the initiative.

6. Formally advise Local Government NSW that Council has endorsed the Save Our Recycling advocacy initiative.

The Honourable Cr PHILIP RUDDOCK

Mayor

Attachments:

There are no attachments for this report.

File Reference: F2004/08805

Document Number: D07574243