BYRON SHIRE COUNCIL

14.3 - Attachment 2

MEMO TO:              Water, Waste and Sewer Advisory Committee

COPY TO:               Manger, Open Space and Resource Recovery

MEMO FROM:         Director Infrastructure Services & Capital Projects Officer

SUBJECT:               Myocum Quarry Landfill

DATE:                      1 October 2015

RECORD NO:          E2015/64015

Council submitted the Development Application (DA) for the proposed Myocum Quarry Landfill (MQL) project in late October 2014. The DA included the EIS prepared by consultants Cardno and included a revised Air Quality Impact Assessment as requested by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) during the stakeholder “adequacy assessment” phase of the project.

The EIS and LEMP were on public exhibition for the community to review and provide comment from 19 November 2014 to 18 December 2014.

Council has since received comments from three NSW agencies: the NSW EPA, NSW Office of Water and NSW Rural Fire Service. Comments from the NSW EPA in particular were extensive and sought further detailed information. The detailed information requires additional investigations and assessments with an estimated cost of up to $250,000. Accordingly, it was necessary to conduct a strategic review of this project to allow consideration of the best way forward on the MQL project.

Tim Fitzroy & Associates were engaged in June 2015 to undertake the strategic review. The review is currently in a Final Draft stage and includes:

·    Research on the strategic context since adoption of the current waste disposal strategy. This includes but is not be limited to the current position of the Myocum Transfer Station/Closed Landfill, Hyder reports, Morrison Low reports, Transport and Disposal contract, NSW and QLD Waste Levy positions, GM’s Regional Initiative, and emerging trends;

·    A review / addendum to the current waste disposal strategy;

·    A review and assessment of the available options to Council going forward including:

-      Continuing to pursue approval for a putrescible waste landfill,

-      Change to a non putrescible waste landfill eg C&D waste,

-      Change to a resource recovery area, and/or

-      Abandon future use of this quarry area and move to restoration;

·    Consideration of the benefits, costs, risks and timing for the options; and

·    Conclusions and recommendations.

Once the strategic review is finalised it will be submitted to the Executive Team for a recommendation on the preferred path for the future disposal options of Byron Shires waste.

……………………………………

Phil Holloway