THE revised Southern Downs Regional Waste Reduction and Recycling Plan 2016-2026 will soon be open for public comment.
The council received the draft waste plan at its recent general meeting, agreeing to seek submissions and feedback through a 28-day community consultation process.
Southern Downs mayor Tracy Dobie said the draft waste plan was a revision of the existing 2014-2024 plan, which was needed following changes to the State Government’s Queensland Waste Avoidance and Productivity Strategy and changes to the council’s goals within the plan.
“The revised plan provides the information for the council and the community to navigate a pathway to efficient and effective waste management that minimises environmental, economic and social impacts,” she said.
“It’s a valuable tool geared towards achieving five key waste management goals, but takes account of the changing landscape of State and local government legislation and policy.
“One of the major vehicles for achieving these goals is through upgrading and rationalisation of the existing waste transfer infrastructure and much of the plan is geared towards this option,” she said.
Waste management portfolio councillor Cameron Gow said he recognised that many people in the community had a keen interest in minimising the impacts of waste on the environment, and he urged residents to read the revised plan and provide their feedback.
“Currently each person in our region generates an extraordinary 1.2 tonne of waste each year, not including recyclables,” Cr Gow said.
“One of the goals in the plan is to reduce the amount of waste generated in the Southern Downs region by 10 per cent to no more than one tonne per person each year over the life of the plan.
“Over the last few years the council has received significant interest and demand for its waste reduction workshops on worm farms and composting, and more than 400 people attended the sustainable living workshops held in 2015 with Jerry Coleby-Williams, popular presenter with ABC TV’s Gardening Australia.
“This confirms that our community is very interested in how we reduce waste, how we recycle waste and how we minimise the burden on our waste infrastructure, and I’d encourage residents to provide their feedback on the revised plan when it’s released for community consultation.”
The draft plan, along with details about how submissions can be made, will soon be available on the council’s website www.sdrc.qld.gov.au.
For details contact the council’s environmental services team on 1300 MY SDRC (1300 697 372).
