Upcoming Waste Management Changes

NIRC’s waste management operations will undergo noticeable changes during November. In keeping with objectives set out in the 2021/22 Operational Plan and seeking operational efficiencies across Council operations, a number of changes will be occurring. The following changes are scheduled to commence the week of Tuesday 23rd November:

• Closing of Headstone Waste Management Facility to the public – all bulky, construction, demolition and other non-compactable waste is to be delivered to the Waste Management Centre and Headstone will be closed to the public. An area has been established at the rear of the WMC shed, with waste streams for timber, hard plastic and other non-compactable waste. Note – all steel and aluminium waste products, aside from cans and tins, are to be placed at the scrap metal pile adjacent the car crusher. Green waste is to be placed at the normal location. WMC Staff will be available to assist customers with their questions during this change period. Access to these deposit areas will be open during full WMC operational hours and will be monitored by staff. Standard ticket fees still apply.

• Waste Management ticket collection – there will be no more dedicated ticket collector at the entrance to the WMC shed, with an honestly system being introduced. NIRC requests that customers submit the required number of Waste Management tickets on arrival. A dedicated collection container will be provided at the entrance to the shed along with a ticket guide for waste type and load. Use of the updated system will be monitored over the coming months.

• Waste Management Centre will be closed on Thursdays – due to very limited usage of the WMC on Thursdays and to reduce operational costs, the WMC will close to the public on Thursdays. Normal operational hours will remain for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Further reviews of WMC operational hours will be conducted in the new financial year.

Information on these changes will be communicated to the public on the radio, print and social media. Customers will be reminded of these changes over the coming week in preparation.

In addition to the above, and pending the arrival of new glass crushing equipment, a change to the delivery and recycling of glass will occur in late November/early December. Arrangements for collection of glass is not yet finalised, however the location at WMC for glass delivery will likely change. This is to facilitate a change in processing and the production of useable sand, which will be available to businesses and the general public at a fee. The community will be informed of these changes as they occur.

While Headstone will no longer be accessible to the public for waste disposal, current arrangements for disposal of butcher’s waste will continue. Approximately 70% of butcher’s

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waste and offal is collected at the Waste Management Centre for composting, with the remaining 30% continuing to be delivered to Headstone. No change in this arrangement is proposed until further research data is available from Flinders University on the activity of large sharks around Norfolk Island. Researchers are expected to be on island in February 2022 to obtain critical data logged from sharks tagged during previous research visits. NIRC will discuss the outcomes of this research with the community and Parks Australia as it becomes available, as well as any further changes to waste management operations.

We appreciate the community’s support in implementing these upcoming changes. If you have any questions, please discuss with our friendly WMC staff or contact Customer Care who will direct you to the appropriate staff member.

Phil Reid

Manager Planning and Environment

11 November 2021