Council States Its Views On Proposed Waste Strategy

Scenic Rim Regional Council has endorsed a submission in response to the State Government's Draft Waste Management and Recovery Strategy.

The submission will be included in a collaborative response by the Local Government Association of Queensland to the State Government strategy which was issued for community feedback in February 2019.

Council's Corporate and Community Services Committee Chair, Cr Michael Enright, said Scenic Rim Regional Council supported the aims of the strategy to create a circular economy and its targets for reducing waste and the burden on landfill while increasing the recovery of valuable resources.

"Council welcomes the focus on economic growth and jobs creation which will be driven by strategic investment in innovative resource recovery technologies and markets by all three levels of government and industry.

"However, Council has emphasised that the draft strategy does not appear to take account of the potentially high economic costs to ratepayers."

Mayor Greg Christensen said that, as part of the Council of Mayors South East Queensland Regional Waste Working Group, Council had previously highlighted the impact of increased waste management costs on ratepayers.

"There is evidence from overseas where poor consideration of waste management strategies has resulted in very expensive long-term impacts for the community," he said.

"Haste should not overwhelm pragmatic long-term solutions for the natural environment as well as the economic environment for councils and residents."

Cr Christensen said Council remains committed to maximising the reuse and recovery of waste materials and will be reviewing its own waste and resource recovery strategy in coming months.

"This strategy will position the Scenic Rim to take advantage of new technologies and commercial opportunities, manage waste in an environmentally and economically responsible manner and participate in regional and national recovery strategies," he said.