Goulburn Mulwaree
Indicator: Solid Waste
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Goulburn Mulwaree
Goulburn Mulwaree Council provides a wide range of recycling and waste disposal services to its residents. Urban residents have a three bin kerbside waste and recycling system, while rural residents can dispose of waste and recycling at Marulan landfill Tarago transfer station and Waste Management Centre (WMC). Figures in this report are based on estimates from Council staff, as during this reporting period there have been no facilities to weigh materials going to the landfill sites or transfer stations, and data on recycling is currently being collated and will be available for the next reporting period. The lack of data on volumes and product breakdown makes discerning trends difficult, but a recently installed weighbridge at the Goulburn landfill site should ensure that load figures will be available for the next reporting period.
The waste stream
The total amount of waste that Council has addressed in each year of the reporting period is estimated at around 24,000 tonnes (Table 1). Of this, approximately 83% has gone to landfill while 17% has been recycled. On a per capita basis this equals a generation rate of over 700kgs of waste and 150kgs of recycling per resident per year, or a total of just under 900kgs. This is broadly equivalent to the generation rates of other largely urban Council areas with similar services. However, given the range of recycling services available it is possible that a greater proportion of the total waste stream than has been estimated. 100 tonnes of green waste is collected in the monthly green waste service.
The total amount of waste addressed each year by Council was similar to the last year of the previous reporting period (23382 tonnes in 2003-04), with the small increase probably due to the change in Council boundaries in 2004. However, the waste/recycling breakdown has changed. In 2003-04 73% of the waste stream went to landfill and 27% was recycled. The recycling rate in the current period has dropped to 17% of the total stream.
| Volumes of waste | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | % Change 04-05 to 07-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recycled (tonnes) | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 | 0% |
| Recycled (% of total) | 17% | 17% | 17% | 17% | 0% |
| To landfill (tonnes) | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 20,000 | 0% |
| To landfill (% of total) | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 0% |
| Total | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 24,000 | 0% |
* percentage of total waste stream (landfill plus resource recovery)
Source: Goulburn Mulwaree Council
Waste to landfill
Goulburn Mulwaree Council has a landfill site (Goulburn) and Marulan and one transfer station at Tarago. No information has been provided on the different waste generation sources in Goulburn Mulwaree Council area.
| Type of waste going to landfill | 2004-05 (tonnes) | 2005-06 (tonnes) | 2006-07 (tonnes) | 2007-08 (tonnes) | % Change 04-05 to 07-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total household | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| Domestic collection | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| Private delivery | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| Commercial and industrial | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| Building and demolition | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown | unknown |
| Total | 20 000 | 20 000 | 20 000 | 20 000 | 0 |
Source: Goulburn Mulwaree Council
No information has been provided on illegally dumped materials by Goulburn Mulwaree Council.
Recycling and other actions to reduce waste
Goulburn Mulwaree Council provides urban residents with a kerbside recycling service, while rural residents have access to drop off points for recyclables. In 2007 a green waste (garden organics) kerbside collection was introduced. No further information has been provided on the breakdown of the recyclable materials however Tarago transfer station Marulan WMC and Goulburn WMC all cater for rural residents who wish to recycle.
Goulburn Mulwaree Council is a partner in the innovative Groundswell project (funded for three years by the NSW Environmental Trust), which will provide some residents with a bin to collect organic food scraps, in addition to garden organics. This project will be rolled out to an increasing number of residents, beginning in 2008. Collected organics will be processed into a soil improving product which will benefit farmers in the region, thereby simultaneously addressing the issues of reducing waste to landfill and improving degraded farming land.
Resource implications of waste
| Period | 2005-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 200000 | 200000 | 200000 | 200000 |
Source: Goulburn Mulwaree Council
About the data
Data provided are estimates given by Goulburn Mulwaree Council staff.
Per person calculations are on the basis of an (unofficial) estimated residential population of 27,350 people as at 30 June 2008.
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
- recyclables—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
Goulburn Mulwaree Council website http://goulburn.local-e.nsw.gov.au/roads/1442.html
Goulburn Mulwaree Council, media release http://goulburn.local-e.nsw.gov.au/files/6288/File/localCitytoSoilstartsinEastgrove.pdf
State of the Environment Report 2004, Goulburn Solid Waste, http://www.envcomm.act.gov.au/soe/soe2004/GoulburnMulwaree/solidwaste.htm
NSW Department of Local Government, Comparative Information http://www.dlg.nsw.gov.au.
