24/05/2010 Waste - a valued resource

At its 20 May 2010 meeting, Council decided that the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) would move into the environmental assessment phase for its planned resource recovery facility at the preferred site, EMRC's Red Hill Waste Management Facility.

EMRC will put forward four technology options for assessment by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and these include anaerobic digestion, combustion, gasification and pyrolysis.

EMRC's Chairman, Cr Graham Pittaway OAM said "EMRC is progressing the resource recovery facility to secure the future of waste disposal in Perth's Eastern Region. We are listening to the community, and the feedback is they want an environmentally friendly alternative to landfill.

"It is imperative we find an environmentally sustainable solution to landfill and begin to treat waste as a valuable resource."

The planned facility will incorporate proven technology to process household waste, producing either compost and/or energy.

"The proposed resource recovery facility will assist in meeting the Waste Authority's State Waste Strategy target of at least a 70% recovery rate for municipal waste by 2016," added Cr Pittaway.

The assessment process will take approximately 18 months and it is intended that tenders will be sought after this period.

Residents in Perth's Eastern Region will soon be eligible to participate in a Community Task Force, which will be involved in the development of a Community Partnership Agreement.

For more information on EMRC's Resource Recovery Project please visit www.emrc.org.au or contact EMRC's Manager, Project Development, Stephen Fitzpatrick, on (08) 9424 2232 or email Stephen.Fitzpatrick@emrc.org.au.