Decision details

Moved by Councillor Scott, seconded by Councillor Miller –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note:

(i)          in September 2018, the Federal government announced a new National Waste Policy, which included draft targets to reduce total waste by 10 per cent per capita and divert 80 per cent of waste from landfill;

(ii)         local government bears the large majority of the burden for recycling and waste management across NSW;

(iii)        Sustainable Sydney 2030 outlines the City of Sydney’s recycling targets, with a target of 70 per cent recycling and recovery of residential and commercial waste from the local government area by end June 2021; and

(iv)       the City’s recently completed City for All: Social Sustainability Policy and Action Plan identifies an inclusive City resilient to the effects of climate change and environmental disaster as a key objective; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          as a part of the Sustainable Sydney 2050 planning process and Council strategic aims, identify mechanisms by which to increase the amount of waste that is recycled in our City, considering both waste disposal by individuals, households and commercial operations, and the City’s systems and processes for waste collection and disposal; and

(ii)         provide an update to Councillors via CEO Update.

Variation. At the request of Councillor Miller, and by consent, the motion was varied such that it read as follows –

It is resolved that:

(A)        Council note that:

(i)          in September 2018, the Federal government announced a new National Waste Policy, which included draft targets to reduce total waste by 10 per cent per captia and divert 80 per cent of waste from landfill;

(ii)         local government bears the large majority of the burden for recycling and waste management across NSW;

(iii)        The City’s Waste Strategy and Action Plan 2017-2030 — Leave Nothing to Waste outlines the City of Sydney’s recycling targets, with a target of 70 per cent recycling and recovery of residential and commercial waste from the local government area by end June 2021, increasing to 90 per cent by 2030;

(iv)       the City currently diverts 100 per cent of its construction and demolition waste and 69 per cent of its operational waste from landfill - through recycling, re-using organic waste and using an advanced waste treatment facility to recover further recyclables;

(v)         sixty-seven per cent of residential waste is currently diverted from landfill and we are working with the Better Buildings Partnership and Sustainable Destination Partnership to improve commercial sector recycling;

(vi)       the City will introduce a kerbside collection service for textiles and food waste, beginning with a limited number of premises in mid-2019, this will be expanded in early 2020;

(vii)      from July 2019, residents will be able to book an e-waste collection from their home;

(viii)     NSW Councils pay around $300 million in waste levies every year, only 18 per cent of which is reinvested by the NSW Government in recycling and waste management; and

(ix)       Local Government NSW recently launched their ‘Save Our Recycling’ campaign, which aims to get the money already collected via the NSW Government’s waste levy reinvested in recycling and waste management; and

(B)        the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)          as a part of the Sustainable Sydney 2050 planning process and Council strategic aims, identify mechanisms by which to increase the amount of waste that is reduced, re-used and recycled in our City, considering waste generated by individuals, households and commercial operations, and the City’s systems and processes for waste collection and disposal;

(ii)         investigate ways that the City can support the Save Our Recycling campaign; and

(iii)        provide an update to Councillors via CEO update.

Carried unanimously.

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