Media response: The Sunday Telegraph article titled City’s wasted chance

In response to the article released in the Sunday Telegraph 2 August 2009 Holroyd City Council Mayor, Clr Greg Cummings has requested that some of the details contained within that article be clarified stating, “At the time the details were correct, but Council has moved forward with a new waste disposal contract and the information needs to be corrected.”

In the article Holroyd City Council was listed as being one of the four poorest Councils for recycling waste with a 22.4% figure quoted as total waste recycled out of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream. This figure was based on the 2007/2008 annual kerbside waste and recycling data return required to be submitted by Councils to the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

However, the article and the percentage figure do not take into account the new waste disposal contract Council has entered into and which commenced on 27 May 2009 with WSN Environmental Solutions. This contract will divert approximately 60% of Council’s MSW away from landfill to a resource recovery facility. The UR3R alternate waste technology facility located at Eastern Creek will effectively recover this amount of waste and convert it to reusable compost at a progressive rate of approximately 7,500 tonnes per year.

When all of Council’s MSW is being delivered to the UR3R facility this process when added to the current recovery figure from the recycling service should give Council an overall percentage figure of approximately 82.4%. Similar to those figures quoted for North Sydney and Hunters Hill.

Council conducts an ongoing waste reduction education and promotion campaign through its recycling collection contractor JJ Richards & Sons Pty. Ltd as well as in house programs structured by Council’s Waste Education officer. Issues of waste management and reduction relating to people from non English speaking backgrounds are a particular focus of these campaigns.

Council also conducts a garden waste drop off program conducted at Council’s Works Depot on Sundays. This service is very popular and well used by residents. However, due to the absence of any weigh bridge facilities at the depot it is not possible to assess the tonnages of material that passes through the depot for processing on a Sunday and subsequently it is not included in Council’s return to the Department of Environment and Climate Change.

For further information contact the Media Relations and Promotions Manager on 9840 9717, 0416 105 029 or email web2@holroyd.nsw.gov.au.