Orange Waste Project

Index

Background

Project information

Project benefits

Approval process

Community consultation

Newsletters

Project documents

Project Team contact details

Background

Orange City Council (Council) is proposing the Orange Resource Recovery and Waste Management Project (the Project) to improve waste management for the Orange and surrounding local government areas diverting some 58% of waste from landfill and minimising green house gas emissions. The project provides a model for sustainable regional waste management.

There is increasing concern across NSW about the way we manage our waste with limited recycling and heavy reliance on burying it in landfills. Aside from wasting potential resources, the impact on the environment has emerged as a serious concern.

The need for action is highlighted by the limited life of the current landfill at the Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre (RRC), where the landfill space allocated for municipal and commercial wastes is predicted to be consumed by mid 2013. Council recognises the need to plan well ahead for the introduction of waste processing technologies and landfill capacity to achieve sustainable long term outcomes.

Project information

The project

The project is an integrated plan for improved recovery of resources from waste, along with sustainable management of residual waste, for the Orange local government area. It would include new operations at two separate sites owned by Council:

• Click here to download a image of the existing Ophir Road RRC.
• Click here to download a image of the proposed Euchareena Road Resource Recovery Centre (RRC) located 37 km from Orange and 5 km northeast of Molong.

The following new infrastructure, for which project approval is sought, would be provided at each site:

• Ophir Road RRC A new materials recovery facility (MRF) building, for the existing or new MRF equipment to service Orange and five other regional councils under the current kerbside recycling arrangements, plus a waste baling operation within the existing MRF building, which would be modified to suit the equipment and permit short term storage of bales;
• Euchareena Road RRC A new enclosed tunnel composting plant for separately collected food and garden organics with a biofilter, associated roads, outdoor compost maturation and refining areas, plus a landfill to receive bales of waste from Ophir Road and other regional sources (if required), and unbaled materials deemed unsuitable for baling, associated access roads, a weighbridge, site amenities, and vehicle parking areas.

A summary of the project elements is provided below. More information on the project can be obtained from the Environmental Assessment, which can be downloaded here.

How will it work?

New residential waste collection system

The new weekly kerbside collection service would be provided to all households in Orange to capture domestic food and garden organics in a single special purpose bin. Neither resource is currently collected as a separate waste stream in Orange City local government area (LGA). Householders would advised on how best to discard food scraps to a small, separate kitchen bin which can be fitted with a special starch liner bag for easy transfer of the discarded food to the food/garden organics mobile garbage bin.

Current kerbside recycling collections of comingled paper and containers would continue on a fortnightly cycle (residents can access a second recycling bin for a supplementary charge). These materials would be delivered to a relocated materials recovery facility (MRF) at the Ophir Road RRC.

The current residential garbage (mixed waste) collection system would continue in Orange LGA, but it is expected over time that the amount of food and other putrescible materials present in the waste stream would be much reduced and progressively eliminated. Hence, the residual waste collection would be scaled back from the present weekly cycle to fortnightly collections. The proposed adjustments to service frequencies are central to minimising the cost impacts of introducing an organics collection service in Orange LGA. Education and marketing incentives will support this continued change in behaviour.

Waste and resource collection arrangements in surrounding LGAs will depend upon decisions made by the relevant Councils. Ideally other Councils would recognise the benefits of joining with the Proponent and arrange for food/garden organics to be separately collected from residual wastes. This leadership role will improve regional environmental outcomes by reducing regional greenhouse gas emissions that smaller councils cannot achieve on their own.

Processing of food/garden organics at the Euchareena Road RRC

Collection and processing of food/garden organics to divert this biodegradable waste from landfill and create valuable compost is a core initiative of the Orange City Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy. An alternative waste technology (AWT) facility to be located at the Euchareena Road RCC would process source-separated food/garden organics using an enclosed composting technology. This would produce a high quality compost product, returning carbon and nutrients to the soil.

The compost product would be manufactured to Grade A compost standards for AS 4454 -1999, which would make it suitable for unrestricted land application. It would be suitable for marketing to residents and local agriculturalists as an alternative to chemical fertilisers. There is some capacity to market this compost through regional landfill sites and to landscapers in the Central West. Experience from a similar enclosed tunnel composting plant using source separated organics, at Port Macquarie, indicates that there is a sustainable market for high quality compost. Furthermore, a commercial in confidence marketing strategy has been prepared which indicates there is a substantial market for the compost product in the region. Biosolids from the Orange City Wastewater Treatment Plant would also be added to the plant in-feed, to enhance compost quality and to contribute the bulk of the water required for the process.

Resource feedstock would be sourced from both the residential sector and the business sector by extending financial incentives and community learning programs to the Orange City businesses to separate food wastes at source for direct recovery as compost feedstock.

Access to the proposed organics processing service would be offered to other regional councils. Council already provides sorting of kerbside collected municipal recyclables for five nearby councils.

These councils would have the opportunity of further improving their resource recovery and reducing waste sent to landfill through similar arrangements. This would support attainment of the State waste diversion targets by these smaller councils, and extending the life of their existing valuable landfill space.

Baling of mixed residual waste at the Ophir Road RRC

With the relocation of the existing MRF to a new building on the site, a resource recovery and mixed waste baling operation would be established in the existing MRF building at the Ophir Road RRC, adaptively reusing existing infrastructure.

All mixed residual waste collected with putrescible content would be directed to this facility, where metals and other materials of value, and objects unsuitable for baling would be recovered from the waste stream, before the residual waste is baled (See photo below to right of baled and enclosed waste).

Garbage compactor trucks collecting mixed residential wastes and commercial waste compactor trucks collecting waste suitable for baling would reverse into the building and unload their contents onto the floor near the baling plant infeed hopper. Equipment would then be used to extract metals, hard waste, car batteries, construction and demolition (C&D) wastes and other wastes unsuitable for baling. Metals would be placed in recycling skips, and other materials in residual waste skips.

Car batteries would be placed in a suitably bunded area until recyclers can collect them. Metals and other recyclables would be taken to the existing waste transfer station on the site and consolidated with the same materials collected there. The residual waste skip would be periodically emptied using a forklift, into a large bulk roll-on/roll-off bin, for transport to the Euchareena Road RRC.

Following the baling operation, the compacted bales would be covered and stored inside and outside the building (under cover) until ready for loading by forklift onto a curtain-sided trailer, for transport to the Euchareena Road RRC. Normally the bales would be stored for a maximum of 24 hours, but this could extend to 48 hours on rare occasions. The bales would contain very little food related material due to the separate food organics collection system operating in the Orange municipality.

The baling equipment would be maintained at night, and on weekends, so that it can be used uninterrupted for approximately 6-8 hours a day. The equipment would be sized so that it does not need to operate continuously during the day, but can be shut down for minor repairs, if necessary. For major shutdowns such as annual maintenance, the baling equipment could be out of service for 1 week or more per year.

During the first five (5) years when the baling equipment is being serviced over a planned shut-down period, mobile baling equipment would be hired by the Proponent to ensure that the waste baling service continues uninterrupted. If such equipment is not available, the waste arising from these periods would be landfilled in cells at the current Ophir Road RRC. The design of the layout of the baling building would provide sufficient space for one or more mobile balers to operate.

Recovery of dry recyclable materials at the Ophir Road RRC

Council currently operates an extensive MRF at the Ophir Road RRC servicing kerbside collected municipal recyclables from Orange as well as five surrounding LGAs. This would continue in a new MRF building constructed at the Ophir Road RRC, with resource recovery levels boosted through a combination of new and reused sorting equipment (subject to detail in a new recycling contract to be negotiated following the application determination), and an extension of the kerbside service to small businesses and a campaign to improve domestic kerbside participation. A three dimensional image of the proposed new MRF behind the existing building is shown to the right.

To increase the recovery of commercial waste, the Proponent would provide financial and other incentives to the business sector to progressively increase sorting and recovery of dry waste, including paper/cardboard, timber, plastics and metals.

MRF process residuals would be taken to the baling building for disposal with other mixed residual wastes, baled (if suitable), and transported to the Euchareena Road RRC for disposal.

Disposal of mixed residual waste at Euchareena Road RRC

Bales of mixed residual waste would be transported to the Euchareena Road RRC for disposal in a specially designed landfill. Bulky wastes and other wastes unsuited to baling would be separately transported to the Euchareena Road RRC for landfill disposal. These would be landfilled in areas confined by bales of waste stacked into the landfill.

What it means for residents

The project would provide residents with a truly sustainable long-term resource recovery and waste management system.

Residents would be provided with a new kerbside collection service so that food and garden organics can be recovered and diverted from landfill.

Residents would still be able to access the existing public waste transfer station at the Ophir Road RRC, but it would be upgraded to improve access.

The existing Resource Recovery Shop at the Ophir Road RRC would also continue to operate as it currently does, being run by a community group. Residents would still be able to purchase second hand goods from the shop.

Project benefits

Improved resource recovery and diversion of waste from landfill

The project is an integrated resource recovery and waste management scheme that promises to be a model for sustainable regional waste management.

The improved residential kerbside collection systems, development of an alternative waste technology facility to process food and garden organics and enhanced resource recovery at the Ophir Road RRC would all contribute to recovering resources and creating value from the waste stream. It would increase diversion from landfill from 20% (current) to 58% by 2011. A summary of key resource recovery outcomes is shown below:

Key resource recovery outcomes of the Resource Recovery and Waste Management Strategy for Orange Waste recovery and diversion from landfill of 58% overall:

• 63% of municipal waste generated.
• 53% of C&I waste generated.
• 53% of C&D waste generated.

Organic waste diverted from landfill for production of high quality compost:

• 9,100 t/yr of municipal food/garden organics.
• 2,061 t/yr of C&I food/garden organics.
• 3,650 t/yr of sewage biosolids.

Dry recyclable materials captured and recycled:

• 2,883 t/yr of kerbside collected municipal paper/cardboard, container recyclables and glass fines.
• 4,053 t/yr of C&I and C&D recyclables paper/cardboard, timber, glass, steel, etc.

Garden waste processing for production of mulch:

• 3,000 t/yr of municipal garden waste.
• 471 t/yr of C&I garden waste.
• Virgin excavated natural material diverted from landfill:
• 12,050 t/yr of VENM for Ophir Road landfill capping and remediation, and blending into soil products.
• Enhanced nature conservation at the Euchareena Road RRC

It is proposed that the landfill footprint would be in the order of 12 ha and a further 8 ha would be required for operating buildings, the compost maturation area, roadways etc. However, a significant portion (42.3 ha) of the remaining cleared land will be designated for ongoing agricultural use and that a 13.6 ha area of cleared land at the northern part of the property would be dedicated to improving biodiversity and designated as a rehabilitation corridor. This would be protected forever by a Covenant over the land.

The final landform also allows some agricultural production at the site after closure of the landfill. Furthermore, the high quality compost output from the enclosed tunnel composting facility would be suitable for application to farmlands in lieu of chemical fertilisers. Council proposes to make this compost available at no cost (based on assessed beneficial program applications) for two years to local farmers and contribute to enhanced agricultural productivity in surrounding areas.

Approval process

The project has been declared a Major Project and the Minister for Planning is the approval authority.

A Major Project Application has been lodged with the Department of Planning, supported by a Preliminary Environmental Assessment. The Department has issued Director-Generals Requirements for the preparation of an Environmental Assessment, which can be downloaded here.

Council submitted a preliminary Environmental Assessment to the NSW Department of Planning in February 2009 and the Department issued Director-Generals requirements (DGRs) for the final Environmental Assessment in April. In accordance with Part 3A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, Council has now completed the Environmental Assessment focusing on the key assessment requirements identified in the DGRs. It assesses the potential environmental impacts associated with the project and makes recommendations to mitigate these. The Environmental Assessment provides:

• Information on the project, including the need for the project, its strategic context and the alternatives considered;
• An assessment of the potential key environmental impacts of the project identified by the DGRs; and
• Councils commitments to minimise and manage potential impacts.

Exhibition of the Environmental Assessment and Community Submissions

The public exhibition of the Environmental Assessment for the Orange Resource Recovery and Waste Management Project commenced on Thursday 1 October 2009, and concludes on Thursday 12 November 2009. The public is invited to make submissions regarding the Environmental Assessment during the exhibition period. Please check the NSW Department of Plannings website www.planning.nsw.gov.au for further information.

During the public exhibition period the Environmental Assessment can be which can be downloaded here. Hard copies of the Environmental Assessment are also available for viewing at:

Submissions should be directed to the NSW Department of Planning by the end of the exhibition period at the following address:

Major Development Assessments
NSW Department of Planning
GPO Box 39
Sydney NSW 2001
Or email: plan_comment@planning.nsw.gov.au

What happens after the exhibition?

A report will be prepared by the NSW Department of Planning on the submissions received about the Environmental Assessment. The Minister for Planning has convened a Planning Assessment Commission to undertake a review of the Project, and they will hold a public hearing prior to assessing the project. The date for this hearing will be advertised soon.

The terms of the review cover the suitability of the site, the environmental impacts and whether they can be managed in an acceptable way, and whether the project is in the public interest.

All submissions received will be provided to the Planning Assessment Commission for consideration. The Director-General of the NSW Department of Planning will then provide an assessment report to the Minister for Planning, who determines the project and if approved, will set conditions for the project.

Members of the public who wish to be speak at the public hearing should state this clearly in their submission and provide a telephone contact number or email address. The Planning Assessment Commission can be contacted on 02 9383 2102.

The Director-General of the NSW Department of Planning will then provide an assessment report to the Minister for Planning, who determines the project and if approved, sets conditions for the project.

The Minister for Planning has also directed the Planning Assessment Commission undertake a review of the Project, and a public hearing be held. If you wish to speak at the public hearing, note that in your submission and / or contact the Planning Assessment Commission on: ph: 9383 2102

Community consultation

Community and stakeholder involvement is an important component in preparing an Environmental Assessment. Through consultation, the project team can:

• Obtain important local information from the community;
• Ascertain key issues and constraints likely to impact on the project;
• Identify and assess economic, environmental and social impacts;
• Provide accurate information to the community about the project development process; and
• Address community issues and concerns during the environmental impact assessment process.

Adjoining landowners

Consultation was undertaken with landholders surrounding the Euchareena Road Site. Details of landholders were obtained from the Proponent and Cabonne Council and GHD contacted these landholders where possible to meet and discuss the Project.

Community Information Days

Two Community Information Days were held in May 2009 to enable interested Molong and district residents to inspect displays relating to the project. Members of the project team were also present to answer questions.

For more information

Enquiries regarding the public exhibition, submission and assessment process should be directed to the NSW Department of Planning on 1300 305 695. Should you require further information about the Environmental Assessment or the Project:

• Visit the project website www.ghd.com\orangewasteproject
• Come to the Community Information Sessions at either:
  Molong Community Hall, Bank Street, Molong
  on Saturday 31 October 2009 between 9 am and 12 noon
• The North Room, Senior Citizens and Pensioner Centre, 77 Kite Street Orange (Ramp entrance from the Woolworths Carpark)
  on Saturday 31 October 2009 between 2 pm and 5 pm

Newsletters

• Newsletter 1, April 2009 (637 KB pdf)
• Newsletter 2, October 2009 (637 KB pdf)

Project documents

• Preliminary Environmental Assessment, February 2009 (7,43MB pdf)
• Director-Generals Requirements for the Environmental Assessment, April 2009 (1,14MB pdf)

Environmental Assessment, September 2009

Volume 1

Volume 2

Volume 3

Volume 4

Molong Intersection Heritage Assessment (6,160 KB)

Project team contact details