WASTE CRISIS: Coffs ‘on the abyss’

Coffs Harbour is drowning in waste with Council facing crippling costs trucking it out of the region.

COFFS Harbour is drowning in waste with Council facing crippling costs trucking it out of the region - and no solid plans on the table to address the crisis.

Coffs Harbour City Council is facing costs of up to $68,000 a week to continue trucking and disposing of waste in Tamworth after a scheme to use rubbish from red bins was deemed unsafe.

The crisis has been escalating ever since October 2018 when the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) stepped in and declared the fertiliser being produced using red waste was not safe.

In 2005 Coffs Harbour City Council (operating also on behalf of Nambucca Valley and Bellingen Shire Councils) entered into a 22-year contract with Biomass Solutions to build and operate an Alternate Waste Treatment plant at Englands Road.

Waste from the red bins was used to create fertiliser known as Mixed Waste Organic Output.

But when the EPA stepped in and deemed the product unsafe for use, Council was left with a huge bill for transport, disposal and the associated Section 88 Landfill Levy charges.

Initially the NSW Government stepped in with a 'Phase 1' package to cover these costs but this has been gradually phased out and as of May 1 Council is looking at footing the entire bill - a whopping $270,000 a month.

Coffs Harbour City Councillor Sally Townley says this withdrawal of support is ​grossly unfair, given the Biomass/Council scheme was predicated on the strong urging and policy directives of the NSW Government.

"While a couple of decades ago, mixing household garbage with green waste and then spreading it across the environment, on farmland and mine sites was promoted by the State Government, they now realise this was actually a bad idea. So they have rightly banned it, but the problem for Coffs Harbour and several other Councils, is that our waste infrastructure and our contracts are all based on this.

"So to expect that we can suddenly build new infrastructure, cancel our contracts and negotiate new ones is an impossible ask. There is no way these Councils can solve this alone."

Dr Townley is calling on the State Member for Coffs Harbour Gurmesh Singh ​and the Member for Oxley Melinda Pavey to step up.

"Large-scale recycling centres, plastics conversion, production of high quality organic waste material, building and construction waste, all of these offer huge opportunities for regionally based waste enterprises."

​Council is looking at over $3m a year to continue trucking waste to Tamworth.

"This is huge burden, and ironically, the State Government are reaping almost $80K per month from our community for the Waste Levy. So they are profiteering at our cost."

Biomass and Council in legal dispute

Council and ratepayers are not the only ones footing the bill.

Biomass, the contractor running the Englands Road facility is also facing a potential loss. Biomass and Council are now in a legal dispute over the future of the contract.

Biomass claims a right to continue to process the material as per the contract, with all additional costs to be paid by Council.

Council is hoping the change, which was beyond their control, could negate some provisions of the contract.

Dr Townley says the situation is critical and needs immediate and sustained investment by State government.

"Our own landfill is almost full. We have made no real effort to locate another site. Of course this would be a long and costly exercise, but we need to start now.

"Councils are expected to deliver waste services and it's ridiculous the waste Levy collected by the NSW government is not reinvested in helping Councils build new landfill sites and new modern processing plants. We are on the abyss of a waste disaster if something doesn't change."

More to come

The Advocate will contact Bellingen Shire and Nambucca Valley Councils for comment on the looming crisis and will also contact the relevant State MPs Gurmesh Singh and Melinda Pavey for their perspective.