Waste disposal secured for the foreseeable future

Published on 15 July 2021

Waste management in our community will be secured for the foreseeable future thanks to a major new investment by Kempsey Shire Council.

Council has allocated $4 million in their 2021-22 budget to construct a new waste cell at the Waste Management Centre on Crescent Head Road to equip the centre for future waste processing and disposal.

The need to construct Waste Cell Four was identified as a priority as Council has seen a 10% increase in waste going into landfill over the past few years.

Kempsey Shire Council Manager of Commercial Business, Gayleen Burley said the creation of a new waste cell is vital in meeting our areas waste requirements but asked residents to help by continuing to sort their waste and make every effort to reduce their red bin waste.

“Landfill cells are among the largest and most technically complex projects Council can undertake - it’s way more than a big hole. There are comprehensive safety measures and environmental regulations that are mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency in order to protect the environment. So the community can rest assured that strong measures are in place to protect groundwater and surrounding natural assets,” said Ms Burley.

“At the same time, landfill is the most expensive waste option for ratepayers. The red bin needs to be the last place we think to put our waste. Recycling and green waste are much cheaper options with food waste able to be put in green bins which are picked up every week. We encourage the whole community to sort their rubbish, recycle where they can, and avoid using their red bin where possible,” said Mrs Burley.

The new cell is being constructed by Ditchfield Contracting after a full tender process. Works commenced this month and are expected to last until the cell is completed in December this year.

Council has a library of waste resources to help residents manage household waste for the benefit of the entire community and these can be found at ksc.pub/sortandsave

For more information on this or any other project head to Council’s website kempsey.nsw.gov.au