Community Review commences for new Regional Resource Recovery Park

Published on 15 February 2021

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The Shire of Broome has officially commenced a Community Review process of the new Regional Resource Recovery Park (RRRP), with the launch of a dedicated website and community consultation activities.

The landfill at Broome’s existing Buckleys Road Waste Management Facility is approaching the end of its operational life. In preparation for that and in line with the community’s desire to see a stronger commitment to recycling and waste minimisation, the RRRP is being planned to support the community for the next 70 years and beyond.

The RRRP will include a Community Recycling Centre (CRC), Class III Landfill and supporting site infrastructure. The RRRP will be driven by best practice design and operation principles, capable of recycling different types of waste to reduce the amount and type of waste sent to landfill.

For the past decade, the Shire has been working to explore potential sites within a 60km radius of Broome. A set of Site Selection Criteria was developed through consultation with a range of stakeholders including the Broome community, Nyamba Buru Yawuru and various Government departments. These Criteria governed the entire siting process and are consistent with EPA Victoria’s Best Practice Environmental Management standards.

Since 2019, the investigation process has narrowed the options down to two preferred sites:

• Site D2: a 120ha site, located 12km northeast of Broome’s town centre along Cape Leveque Road.

• Site G1: a 98ha site, located approximately 38km northeast of Broome’s town centre along Great Northern Highway.

Both sites meet the ecological and geological requirements, are close enough to town and have the required road infrastructure. They were extensively investigated during 2020 to gauge their suitability for the landfill component of the RRRP, the results of which are outlined in the Site Comparison Report. All reports are available at www.rrrp.com.au.

It is proposed for the CRC element of the RRRP to be located at Site D2 for a variety of reasons including its proximity to the town centre, its easy access to the community, and its supportive site attributes.

The CRC is the community-facing part of RRRP that is made up of the following elements that provide residents with opportunities to prevent waste going to landfill:

  • Reuse Shop
  • Education Centre and Administration Building
  • Green Waste Drop-Off Area
  • Mulch Collection Area
  • Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off
  • Recycling Drop-Off
  • Stockpiling and Processing Areas for glass, scrap, end of life vehicles and construction waste.

There will also be a dedicated community drop-off area to safely accept materials that cannot be recycled or recovered.

In terms of the landfill component, two options being considered:

  • Option 1: Integrated: All components of the RRRP are developed at Site D2. This includes the CRC, Class III Landfill and the Waste Transfer Station.
  • Option 2: Network: A split development over both sites with the CRC and Waste Transfer Station on Site D2 and the Class III Landfill on Site G1.

Shire of Broome Deputy President Desiree Male said the Shire was constantly collating information from multiple sources to assist the Council to make an informed decision on this project, but the community’s input was a critical component of that data gathering exercise.

“The Shire is launching a Community Review of the work we’ve done to date, to ensure the direction we take is safe for the community and the environment,” she said.

The Shire has contracted engagement facilitators to lead the Community Review process, with the specific aim of understanding the community’s needs and priorities that will in turn inform site development of the RRRP.

Cr Male encouraged the community to provide feedback through this review process, which will include public displays and information sessions, as well as web-based updates, advertising and questionnaires.

“This process will provide Broome residents, businesses and key stakeholder groups with in-person and online opportunities to review the material and provide feedback” she said.

“It will give members of the community a chance to provide their perspective whilst making a valued contribution to what is a critical, significant regional project.”

COMMUNITY REVIEW PROCESS:

The following engagement activities will be undertaken as part of the Community Review process:

  • A series of workshops will be held (3-6 March 2021) to develop an understanding of the project history and technical materials.
  • This will be followed by an online survey (4-27 March 2021), during which all residents and stakeholders are encouraged to share their perspective on the work completed and proposed landfill location. Once launched, the survey link will be shared widely via social media, email newsletter, mainstream media and on both the Shire and RRRP websites.
  • The Shire will also have a mobile stall visiting key sites around town to give people more opportunities to join the Community Review.
  • Feedback will be shared following the engagement process to provide an update on findings to date and explore implications of the landfill location. To find out more and to register for updates, visit www.rrrp.com.au.

According to Cr Male, modern refuse recovery and recycling facilities, together with state-of-the-art landfill practices, will help ensure waste is managed in a sustainable manner.

“Much has changed in the design of landfill. A modern waste facility is no longer just a ‘hole in the ground’ and we are very much committed to best practice,” she said.

“To give some perspective, Broome’s current Waste Management Facility is a basic Class II Landfill located approximately 1km from nearby residences that has been operation for approximately 30 years.

“In accordance with our Environmental Protection Act (1986) License, managed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation Licence, we have been performing continuous bore monitoring at this aging facility since its construction and there has been no leakage into the groundwater.

“The proposed site for our new best-practice RRRP would be 4kms from the nearest residence if D2 is selected, while G1 also gives us a viable option but is further away from the Broome townsite.

“Regardless of which site is selected, we will be using the most up-to-date lining and design principles to improve environmental stability and meet the stringent guidelines enforced by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation.”

Cr Male has confirmed that Councillors will consider the preferred location of the RRRP’s landfill component after the Community Review has been completed, and that the Shire will use the information gathered during the Community Review process to support the Council’s decision-making process.

For more information about the RRRP Community Review, visit the website here.

To watch an explainer video from Cr Male on the project, click here.

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