Boorowa
Indicator: Solid Waste
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Boorowa
Boorowa Council had no estimates or measurements of solid waste to landfill for the reporting period, as there is no ability to measure the quantity or types of materials that are disposed of in its landfills. Council has introduced a domestic recycling collection, which is well-used by residents.
The waste stream
Boorowa Council is a member of the South West Region Waste Management Group which sets the framework for waste management in the Council area.
Waste to landfill
At the end of the reporting period there was no information available on volumes of waste created in Boorowa Council area. Landfill sites used by Boorowa residents do not have weighbridges and thus data on weights cannot be gathered. Boorowa landfill is staffed, although this has only been since 2008, and Council has four unstaffed rural landfill sites at Frogmore, Reids Flat, Rugby, and Rye Park. They are all locked with the residents having a key for access. Council has also contributed to the establishment of the Bald Hill regional waste facility at Jugiong, though does not deliver to the site yet.
Council is aware that illegal dumping of materials takes place in the Council area, but no estimates were available for this report.
Recycling and other actions to reduce waste
Boorowa Council has introduced fortnightly recycling in Boorowa and recycle bins at the rural tips. Council sees that both services are successful, with Boorowa residents using their regular collections, and rural residents bringing their recyclables to the larger tips.
Data provided by the recycling contractor and collector of scrap steel shows that residents recycled significant quantities of glass, metals, paper and plastic in 2007-08 (see Table 1). No data is available for the years 2004-07.
| Material recycled | 2004-05 (tonnes) | 2005-06 (tonnes) | 2006-07 (tonnes) | 2007-08 (tonnes) | % Change 04-05 to 07-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acid Lead Batteries | 0 | n/a | |||
| Aluminium | 1.5 | n/a | |||
| Clothing | 0 | ||||
| Cooking oil and fat | 0 | ||||
| Demolition | 0 | ||||
| Garden waste/compost | 0 | ||||
| Glass | 40 | n/a | |||
| Liquid paper board | 0 | ||||
| Metals (ferrous) | 16 | n/a | |||
| Motor oil | N/A | ||||
| Paper | 8.8 | n/a | |||
| Plastic | 7.8 | n/a | |||
| Salvage and reuse | |||||
| Steel cans | 3.2 | n/a | |||
| Tyres (Units) | 0 | ||||
| Other | 0 | ||||
| Total tonnes recovered | 77.3 | n/a |
Source: Boorowa Council
The State of the Environment 2004 reported that the kerbside collection service in Boorowa was so popular with residents and the business community that Council agreed to introduce 240 litre bins during 2004–2005 to replace the 10 litre crates initially used for recycling which are processed at Cootamundra.
Resource implications of waste
Information on Council's investment in waste management and resource recovery during the reporting period has not been provided for this report.
About the data
Data provided from Boorowa Council records.
Trends are difficult to discern in smaller communities where a single activity can have a substantial impact on volumes transported to landfill or volumes recycled.
Other South West Region Waste Management Group member Councils from the Australian Capital Region are Cootamundra, Gundagai, Harden, Tumbarumba, Tumut, Yass and Young. More details of South West Region Waste Management Group activity can be obtained from the website http://www.reroc.com.au/waste.htm.
For additional information on domestic waste management and recycling services, the Department of Local Government Comparative Information publications report annually on four key performance indicators:
- average charge for domestic waste management services per residential property
- costs per service for domestic waste collection
- recyclable—kilograms per person per year
- domestic waste—kilograms per person per year.
These indicators are seen to relate to the economic efficiency and environmental management performance of residential garbage collection services generally provided by councils in urban or town areas.
References
NSW Department of Local Government, Comparative Information http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au.
Office of the Commissioner for the Environment (2004) Australian Capital Region State of the Environment Report 2004, Office of the Commissioner for the Environment, Canberra (see indicator ‘Solid Waste' under Boorowa).
