New landfill cell ready: let's rethink waste
A new landfill cell at the Central Waste Facility near Bega will be operational by Christmas, prompting Bega Valley Shire Council to ask for renewed thinking on the way we deal with waste.
Nearing completion, the new 100m x 120m landfill cell at the Central Waste Facility.
8 December 2020
A new landfill cell at the Central Waste Facility near Bega will be operational by Christmas, prompting Bega Valley Shire Council to ask for renewed thinking on the way we deal with waste.
The new cell is the fourth to be built at the site and the largest one yet with a projected life of up to eight years.
Council’s Waste Services Manager, Alan Gundrill said the new cell is a major achievement built under challenging circumstances but is also a sobering reminder to reduce waste to landfill.
“While Cell 4 is our largest yet, we must remember that consumer activity and the summer bushfires have led to Cell 3 filling much faster than expected,” Mr Gundrill said.
“The massive amount of waste from cleared sites following the summer bushfires compounded an already growing problem of salvageable waste, food waste and recyclables finding their way to landfill.
“As a result, the construction of Cell 4 was fast-tracked to cope with increasing demand for landfill space.
“Our contractors were faced with excavating more than 75,000 cubic metres of material and working through three east coast lows while they blasted through rock outcrops and carefully installed the leachate barrier lining.
“This highly specialised task, vital for the safe containment and redirection of leachate, was installed in six weeks while meeting the NSW Government’s strict quality assurance requirements.
“Contractors are currently laying a gravel substrate as the final step before opening Cell 4 to landfill waste prior to Christmas,” Mr Gundrill said.
Council’s Waste Strategy Coordinator, Joley Vidau said the community should consider the latest cell as a last resort.
“Landfill is not a place for recyclables, organic waste or goods that can be repurposed as commodities.
“Put simply, we cannot as a community and society, keep digging holes for goods we incorrectly label as waste. We are literally running out of allowable space.
“This is why we have developed our proposed Waste Facility Consolidation and Modernisation Project, with an extensive and successful public awareness campaign having run throughout October this year.
“Looking ahead, with a new landfill cell ready for waste that can go nowhere else, and a project that makes it much easier for people to recycle, we can genuinely change the way everyone thinks about their waste.
“With a shift in thinking comes a change of behaviour, and with this comes significant financial and environmental gains,” Ms Vidau said.
Visit the Waste Facility Consolidation and Modernisation Project webpage for more detail.
Making an enquiry
All media enquiries and interview requests are coordinated by Council's Communication and Events team under the adopted Communications Policy. To view this policy, visit Public Policies and search 'communications'.
To submit a media enquiry or to request an interview:
- email media@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
- call 02 6499 2222
Councillors
Councillors can be contacted directly for enquiries regarding decisions of the elected Council and non-operational matters. Interviews with the Mayor should be arranged through the Communication and Events team contact details above.
Receiving information
If you’re a journalist or media organisation that would like to receive media releases and notifications about media opportunities, please email your name, title and contact details to media@begavalley.nsw.gov.au and we will add you to our distribution list.
You can also subscribe to Bega Valley Together and Business News, Council's fortnightly e-newsletters, or follow @begavalleyshirecouncil on Facebook and Instagram.
© Bega Valley Shire Council 2024
Our council websites
Contact Us
- 02 6499 2222
- council@begavalley.nsw.gov.au
-
Zingel Place
PO Box 492
Bega NSW 2550 -
Monday to Friday 9.00AM to 4.30PM
Administration building Zingel Place Bega
Australia -
ABN: 26 987 935 332