By JO HARRISON
Armidale Dumaresq Council is adopting a more cautious approach to the city’s future landfill requirements after EPA (Environment Protection Authority) director Waste and Resource Recovery, Steve Beaman, raised a number of landfill options when he addressed council on Monday.
Armidale Dumaresq Mayor Laurie Bishop said the EPA was encouraging councils to consider regional co-operation, and noted that funding for feasibility studies to achieve this were available.
“New technology is being developed overseas and locally,” Cr Bishop said.
“The problem is that this new technology is not yet fully proven. It could be to our advantage to delay a decision until we know more about what might become available and when.
“Adopting expensive and outdated methodology when we are talking about meeting the needs of the community for the next 50 years is not the way to go unless it is the only possible option.”
The mayor said there was an element of risk in expecting the $14 million loan to cover the full cost of developing the new landfill site.
“It is a huge financial impost on council, and we really need to look at all our options before we make a commitment,” he said.
“There is also a possibility that levies could be imposed on landfill sites, further increasing costs to council.”
Cr Bishop said there appeared to be little doubt Armidale Dumaresq would need a new landfill site because it was difficult to foresee a time when all waste could be recycled.
“Mr Beaman told us there were a number of councils in NSW in our position and they are also weighing up all the options available,” he said.
“As a result of this week’s meeting, I believe we are better informed. The next step will be for councillors to consider the issues that have been raised and make a decision about the best way to proceed.”
At council’s 8 October Extraordinary Meeting, a last-ditched rescission motion by a group of councillors to push through the proposed purchases of land for the new landfill site was lost with councillors Beyersdorf, Gadd, Maher and Richardson for and councillors Bailey, Bishop, Halligan, Murat, O’Connor and O’Donohue against.
Cr Jim Maher said the council had already borrowed $14 million and was paying interest.
“This is increasing the cost to the landfill development by approximately $350,000 a year,” he said.
“We have already spent just under $1.8 million on preparation for the landfill and I believe that all of the deferrals are just creating enormous problems in relation to the purchase of the landfill and its construction. I don’t believe that the residents of Armidale are going to look too kindly on these sorts of decisions that are costing the community enormous amounts of money and uncertainty.”
Cr Maher said the new landfill has been 29 years in the making with enormous community input and extensive studies undertaken on the current site.
“The new site for the landfill has been approved by the EPA and the federal body and it’s time that we stop this dilly-dallying and got on with the important job of moving forward on the landfill.”
