Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan

Public Consultation and Briefings

The formal submission period for the draft Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan has now closed. The period for submissions ran from 2 April to 5pm 19 May 2008 and during this time, four public meetings were held.

Submissions are now being considered and a summary report is being prepared.

The draft Strategic Plan is in three separate parts:

•  Part 1 - The Metropolitan Plan (1.27MB)
•  Part 2 - The Municipal Solid Waste Infrastructure Schedule (1.89MB)
•  Part 3 - The Metropolitan Landfill Schedule (674KB)

An  executive summary (85KB) and  glossary (92KB)are provided as separate documents.

There are also reports which address the modelling that was undertaken in the development of the draft Strategic Plan.

•  Modelling and analysis of options for the Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan (509KB)
•  LCA of Waste Strategy Options (193KB)

Background

Following the adoption of the Towards Zero Waste Strategy (TZW), the Victorian Government initiated a number of key changes to the Environment Protection Act in 2006 to help meet the strategy's objectives and targets. Environment Protection Act 1970 - The Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan legislation

The changes provided for the development of a long-term Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan for metropolitan Melbourne which would identify future directions for waste and resource recovery and short- and long-term waste infrastructure needs, and devise a schedule for the utilisation of landfill.

The Strategic Plan has three parts.

• Part 1 - The Metropolitan Plan sets the strategic framework for the management of all solid waste in metropolitan Melbourne.
• Part 2 - The Municipal Solid Waste Infrastructure Schedule sets out a schedule of existing and required infrastructure for municipal solid waste.
• Part 3 - The Metropolitan Landfill Schedule sets a schedule identifying the location and sequence for the filling and operation of landfill sites. 

The changes also saw the formation of the Metropolitan Waste Management Group (MWMG) in recognition of the key role that metropolitan Melbourne would have in achieving the state-wide targets. The MWMG is an amalgamation of the four former metropolitan Regional Waste Management Groups (RWMGs).

A coordinated plan

To ensure there is a unified approach by government for the development of the Strategic Plan, a steering group is managing the project, comprising representatives from the Department of Sustainability and Environment www.dse.vic.gov.au, Sustainability Victoria, the Metropolitan Waste Management Group www.mwmg.vic.gov.au  and the Environment Protection Authority Victoria www.epa.vic.gov.au.

Legislative Requirements

The Environment Protection Act 1970 sets out the following legislative requirements for the Strategic Plan, including key outcomes and compliance.

Metropolitan Plan

• Analyse long term trends on the generation, management and reduction of municipal solid waste, as well as commercial and industrial waste (including construction and demolition waste)
• Identify future waste volumes and processing needs
• Undertake a strategic analysis of current waste management infrastructure and service provision, as well as resource recovery (materials and energy)
• Identify waste minimisation, resource recovery, waste collection, transport and disposal options, including a social and economic assessment of each option
• Develop programs for infrastructure and service provision, so that key objectives for waste management, resource recovery and resource efficiency are met
• Specify measures for litter prevention and control within metropolitan Melbourne
  

The Municipal Solid Waste Infrastructure Schedule

• Assess the needs, priorities and preferred locations for municipal waste management facilities (other than landfill) within metropolitan Melbourne
• Provide a detailed description of existing municipal waste and resource recovery infrastructure within metropolitan Melbourne
• Identify new municipal waste and resource recovery locations within metropolitan Melbourne, and co-ordinate the implementation with key stakeholders
  

The Metropolitan Landfill Schedule

• Devise a 10 year schedule for the filling of available landfill
• Include a program for replacing and rehabilitating existing landfill sites
• Estimate the intended/likely date of closure of each landfill site
• Identify options for future landfill capacity

Previous Workshops and Presentations

A number of workshops and presentations were held last year and are available for download.

•  Metropolitan Waste and Resource Recovery Strategic Plan overview (390KB)
•  Municipal Solid Waste Infrastructure and Landfill Schedules (811KB)
•  Analysis of options (1.11MB)
•  C&I and C&D priorities and approaches (474KB)
•  Public feedback summary from workshops (38KB)

Top | Last updated 30/05/2008