Council Minutes - Section C: Notice of Motion - 26 March 2019
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Notices of Motion tabled at the Ordinary Meeting of Council on 26 March 2019 which was held at the Council Conference and Reception Centre in City Hall, 57 Little Malop Street, Geelong.
Recycling is a key component of waste management in Geelong. The public are strong supporters of recycling and the principles that underpin it. However, the recycling industry in Geelong, and indeed the whole country, is currently in crisis. This is a result of under investment in the industry, reduced options for exporting our recyclable materials, and a variety of market failures. These issues, coupled with unsustainable levels of waste generation, have meant that significant amounts of potentially recyclable material have been going into landfill.
In order to resolve the crisis, a range of short, medium and long-term strategies are required, and cooperation between the public and all three tiers of government is essential. The Municipal Association of Victoria has developed an Action Plan – ‘Rescue our Recycling’ – that outlines key steps that must be taken by relevant stakeholders (see Attachment 1). This motion is a public endorsement by the City of Greater Geelong of this action plan, a commitment to undertake the steps required by local governments, and an agreement to lobby our state and federal government counterparts to work with local government to address the recycling crisis as a matter of urgency.
This motion aligns with our Council Plan, and our Environment Strategy, and One Planet Living Principals.
Councillor Mansfield moved, Councillor Mason seconded -
That Council:
endorse the Municipal Association of Victoria’s ‘Rescue Our Recycling’ Action Plan;
commit to undertaking the steps required by local governments outlined in the Action Plan;
will write to our local state and federal government MPs calling on them to urgently undertake the required steps outlined in the Action Plan;
engage with providers of recycling services in the G21 Region to identify opportunities to enhance local recycling; and
xplore options for stream separation in kerbside recycling collections to reduce contamination rates and maximise the value of recyclable material including paper and cardboard, glass, and aluminium.
Carried.
Since 2013, a materials recycling facility has operated at 300–400 Broderick Road, Lara, (the site) which has resulted in a large volume of combustible recyclable and waste material being accumulated on site. Since the commencement of operation of the site, the City has taken all possible action to prevent the site from continuing to operate.
The site operator, C&D Recycling and its director, David McAuliffe, repeatedly breached planning permit conditions and orders from the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Late in 2018 C&D Recycling was liquidated and in January this year the Geelong Magistrates Court sentenced Mr McAuliffe to 90 days jail for breaches of the City’s enforcement orders. The sentence is now the subject of an appeal by Mr McAuliffe.
The site owner, TASCO, have been responsible for managing and cleaning up the site. On 15 March 2019, TASCO appointed a liquidator, Price Waterhouse Coopers, to wind up the company.
The City has been working closely with the EPA, the CFA, Worksafe and Emergency Management Victoria to oversee the management of the site with a focus on managing the risks associated with the combustible material on site. The agencies and the City have ensured that all steps have been and continue to be taken to protect public health and safety and to protect the environment.
Fire prevention measures have been implemented on site, including:
Around the clock security patrols;
Regular testing and monitoring of combustible materials;
Earth moving, firefighting and heavy equipment on site;
Installation of two 500,00 water tanks installed on site;
Removal of large items (such as tyres) around the site perimeter;
Construction of emergency vehicle access roads; and
Clearing of vegetation.
The local community has continuously expressed to Council their serious and ongoing concern about the potential impacts of this site on the health and safety of nearby residents, workers and visitors, particularly while the site continues to hold a significant volume of combustible material. The local community want the site cleared as soon as possible.
It remains the Council’s highest priority to mitigate the risks to community health and safety and for all materials are removed from the site. Whilst efforts have been made to bring the parties responsible for the current state of the site to account, ongoing efforts are required to hold the operator and the land owner accountable for the clean-up of the site.
Councillor Aitken moved, Councillor Grzybek seconded -
That Council:
continue to work with the EPA and other agencies to oversee the management of the site to ensure that all steps are being taken to protect public health and safety as the number one priority;
continue to work with the EPA and other agencies to hold the land owner and the site operator to account for the clean-up of the site, including through the exercise of appropriate regulatory powers in respect of the actions of the corporations involved and their officers;
write to the Minister for Environment to:
express the deep community concern about the site and the community sentiment that all efforts be made and steps be taken to ensure that the health and safety risk to the community be prioritised and the site be cleaned up; and
request an investigation into the processes and decisions that lead to this situation, and to make recommendations to ensure situations such as Broderick Road, are not repeated in the future.
direct the Chief Executive Officer to apply for cancellation of the planning permit for the site once the clean-up is complete; and
write to the Municipal Association of Victoria highlighting the statewide and local government implications of this issue, the community concerns, and seeking its support for an ongoing collaborative effort by the state government with the Council to ensure that the operator and owner of the site and their respective officers are held accountable for the clean-up of the site and for the state government to recognise the site as a high priority.
The Mayor vacated the Chair and left the meeting room at 9:04pm
Councillor Murrihy assumed the Chair at 9:04pm
The Mayor re-entered the meeting room at 9:06pm
The Mayor resumed the Chair at 9:06pm
Carried.
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