Agenda of Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee

ORANGE CITY COUNCIL

MINUTES OF THE

Environmental Sustainability Community Committee

HELD IN Council Chambers, Civic Centre, Byng Street, Orange

ON 16 October 2020

COMMENCING AT 8.00am

Attendance

Cr S Nugent (Chairperson), Cr R Kidd, Ms Shahreen Alford, Mr Robert Alford, Mr Ronald Finch, Mrs Kate Hook, Mr Andrew Kennedy, Mr Nick King, , Ms Melanie McDonell, Mrs Anne Salter, Mr Cyril Smith, Ms Kate Willoughby, Mr Ken Freedman, Director Development Services, Water Treatment Manager, Manager City Presentation, Water and Sewerage Strategic Manager, Sustainability Officer, Intern Sustainability and Environment.

1.1 Apologies and Leave of Absence

RECOMMENDATION Ms S Alford/Mr A Kennedy

That the apologies be accepted from Mrs Neina Campbell, Miss Anwen Carney, Mr Daniel Fock, Mr Gavin Hillier, Dr David Mallard, Mr Peter West, Ms M Shaw, Museum and Heritage Coordinator, Water Management Officer, Project and Research Officer, Parks Supervisor, Manager Engineering Services, Manager Waste Services and Technical Support for the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting on 16 October 2020.

1.2 Acknowledgement of Country

The chairperson conducted the acknowledgement of Country.

1.3 Declaration of pecuniary interests, significant non-pecuniary interests and less than significant non-pecuniary interests

Cr Reg Kidd declared a less than significant non-pecuniary interest in Item 3.6 Energy Sub-Group - Energy Report, discussions relating to Solar farms as he has previously been approached to have a solar farm on his property.

2 Previous Minutes

RECOMMENDATION Mr A Kennedy/Mr R Finch

1. That the Minutes of the Meeting of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee held on 14 August 2020 (copies of which were circulated to all members) be and are hereby confirmed as a true and accurate record of the proceedings of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting held on 14 August 2020.

2. That Mrs Melissa Brown be removed from the attendance list of the minutes of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting of 14 August 2020. Mrs Melissa Brown was not in attendance and is no longer a member of the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee.

3 Presentations

3.1 Environmental Sustainability Community Committee Charter updates

TRIM Reference: 2020/1946

Changes to the Committee Charter include:

1. Member ship now allows two or more councillors (one whom shall be chairperson, as elected by Council)

This is changed from requiring 4 Councillors on the Committee a result of Councils decision to allow 2 Councillors to form the Committee.

2. Title change from General Manager to Chief Executive Officer

This was changed to reflect Councils current nomenclature.

RECOMMENDATION Mr C Smith/Ms S Alford

That the verbal report provided by Councillor Nugent (Chairperson) be acknowledged.

MATTER ARISING Mr A Kennedy/Cr S Nugent

That the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee be reminded of Item 5.2 ‘Environmental sustainability community committee 2020 and beyond - Cr Stephen Nugent and Andrew Kennedy’ from Environmental Sustainability Community Committee meeting 14 February 2020 that the committee would like to create a ‘Legacy document’ for the next ESCC group to consider’.

3.2 Stormwater harvesting - Wayne Beatty

TRIM Reference: 2020/1943

Update on the progress with second stage of Blackmans Swamp Stormwater harvesting Scheme Project. Current activities include flow modelling (to be available by end of the year), advertising to the community and Council. Project to be made available on Council’s website. Council will have access to the site from next week for Geo-technical works to be carried out

Current land being acquired through compulsory acquisition process. Council should have access to the entire site by the end of 2020. The review of environmental factors will hopefully be progressed by then (approved).

Will the project be available for community comment? Yes, community are able to make comments during the exhibition period.

Will there be a public meeting for comment? Potentially yes, as a result of a recent Council decision – significant/major Developments/projects may require planning consultation in the first half of the exhibition period. This project will likely have a public forum for the community.

Is there a current design available? There is an initial conceptual design, this can be forwarded to ESCC.

A project works outline in map view be forwarded to the committee.

RECOMMENDATION Mr C Smith/Mr A Kennedy

I. That the project conceptual design be forwarded to the committee

II. That a project works outline in map view be forwarded to the committee

III. That the verbal report from Council’s Water and Sewerage Strategic Manager be acknowledged.

3.3 Water Sensitive Cities report - Progress update

TRIM Reference: 2020/1950

Progress from Item 3.5 Update Orange Transitioning to a Water Sensitive City - Cyril Smith from Environmental Sustainable Community Committee Meeting 14 February 2020:

That the Environmental Sustainability Community Committee recommends to the Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee that Council appoint staff necessary to engage with the Cooperative Research Centres Water Sensitive Cities to develop a strategy to compile information for a preliminary report, Orange transition to a water Sensitive City, to be completed for presentation to Orange City Council for consideration.

Josh Bennett (Council’s Sustainability and Environment Intern) presented the Water Sensitive Cities Report. The report is structured by:

1. What a Water Sensitive City is

2. What Council is currently doing and what Council has already achieved in regards to being a Water Sensitive City, including Stormwater Harvesting Projects.

3. What the Cooperative Research Centres Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC) is able to provide Council in regards to Transitioning Orange to a Water Sensitive City.

3 main options for the report available from CRCWSC include:

1. Rapid benchmarking assessment

The CRCWSC can undertake a rapid benchmarking assessment of Orange City Council’s current water sensitive practices using the Water Sensitive Cities Index Tool. The WSC Index outlines seven goals and 34 indicators of a water sensitive city and identifies current areas of strength and areas for improvement. This activity would involve a desktop analysis and several interviews with key council staff.

Outputs: a high-level identification of focus areas to improve water sensitive performance. This is designed to generate commitment for future activities that focus on bringing all stakeholders along the journey.

2. Benchmarking workshop

The WSC Index can also be delivered through a collaborative benchmarking workshop which guides participants through a process to develop a shared understanding of current challenges and opportunities in relation to water sensitive cities. This process is critical for achieving buy-in and support across a broad range of council staff and external stakeholders who need to be involved in these discussions.

Outputs: a detailed analysis of current water sensitive performance that has agreement and endorsement from broad stakeholders and sets the scene for future visioning and transition planning.

3. Participation in NSW Regional Advisory Panel

The CRCWSC invites Orange City Council representatives to attend and participate in the CRCWSC’s NSW Regional Advisory Panel. This is a group of CRCWSC industry and government partners who meet to share knowledge and experiences around water sensitive cities and discuss ways of progressing more water sensitive action for NSW.

Resource implications for moving forward with this report need to be considered.

Provide further information on what going to a water sensitive city means. More detail required on the benefits including promotional benefits and identify high rewards with low inputs.

The CRCWSC was established and funded by the Commonwealth Government, a number of members have left the CRCWSC

Regarding Orange’s stormwater supply. Orange’s current treated effluent is transferred to Cadia under contract. The purple pipeline reticulates harvested stormwater from the stormwater catchment ponds, this water is filtered and UV treated and sent up to a storage tank in Anson street, this supply is topped up with municipal drinking water supply on an ‘as needed’ basis. The amount of stormwater being harvested and pumped to the storage tank is recorded

The ‘purple’ pipeline is planned to be extended into North Orange subdivisions but not to the South (Shiralee).

Regarding future housing developments, are there any mandatory requirement for rainwater harvesting tanks and/or greywater systems to be implemented? No there is not.

Further discussion is required on this in promoting the use of and installation of rainwater tanks in Orange and information sharing on Grey water systems and waste water reuse in the future.

Can water restrictions be kept at a future minded level? There is an item on the agenda for Council’s next meeting to discuss the recommendations to implement permanent water saving measures or ‘Rules’ similar to those used by Victoria.

We have been on water restrictions since 2010. Keep in mind it is an election year. The words mean different things in different places ( in reference to water restriction language) The minister is taking on board the need to standardise this language to remove confusion. OCC already uses the water use per person/per day and are pushing this standardisation of what water restrictions mean (using water use per person per day as opposed to criteria for when and where to use water)

There is a notice of Motion for Cr Munro to remove all water restrictions in OCC.

Likely that if permanent water restrictions are adopted by OCC it would be the same as level 1 and 2 water restrictions. The difference is that restrictions can be enforced easier through legislation, community members are still unable to waste water which can be enforced through legislation.

Flood plain management plan going to Council next week needs to be looked at by everyone for comment. Flood plain management and stormwater harvesting plans are discussed internally between staff/departments.

RECOMMENDATION Mr C Smith/Mrs A Salter

I. That the Environmental Sustainable Community Committee Water sub-group meet with relevant Council staff and communications team to produce a short summary of ‘What a water sensitive city is and the related benefits’.

II. That Environmental Sustainable Community Committee Water sub-group meet with relevant Council staff and communications team to refine the report to be presented to Councils Environmental Sustainable Policy Committee for consideration.

III. That a map of Councils ‘purple’ pipeline be provided to the Environmental Sustainable Community Committee.

IV. An updated info graph of Councils water supply system be provided to the Environmental Sustainable Community Committee.

V. That Council staff investigate information sharing and promotion of water saving technology for residents in Orange.

3.4 Great Southern Bioblitz Orange 2020

TRIM Reference: 2020/1948

The Great Southern Bioblitz Orange 2020 went ahead on September 25-28^th 2020 (4 days)

The event was created, promoted and executed in a 4 week timeframe, suggested to provide more lead up time if the project is to be implemented again in the future.

The Biodiversity walk and talks were planned for the Saturday however were cancelled due to poor weather.

Overall Stats for Orange Bioblitz from the weekend

64 Observations
41 Species
21 Identifiers
8 Observers

Southern Hemisphere results:

91,179 observations
12,395 species
2,110 Identifiers
3,106 Observers

Friends of the Botanic Gardens ran a bird watching workshop on the Sunday at The Orange Botanic Gardens, 7 community members were involved and found 42 different species during the workshop.

The iNaturalist app can be used outside of the BioBlitz program.

RECOMMENDATION Mr N King/Mr C Smith

I. That the Great Southern Bioblitz be run again next year.

II. That the verbal report provided by Councils Sustainability Officer be acknowledged.

3.5 Councils operational plastics report - progress update

TRIM Reference: 2020/1949

On 24th July 2020 Council made this decision:

That Council prepare a report outlining;

o Current use of single-use plastic across all operations;

o Available alternatives to single-use plastic items currently in use in Council operations/sponsored event

o Achievable time frames to phase out single-use plastics in Council operations

o Achievable time frames for developing a single-use plastic policy that addresses the reduction of single use plastics in Council operations and events, supports the 2025 national packaging targets, and identifies suitable alternatives, including time frames for implementation.

Council is investigating how much we're currently using single-use plastics and plastic packaging, and whether we can avoid using them, in future. As part of this investigation, line managers are being surveyed to inform the report.

RECOMMENDATION Cr S Nugent/Ms S Alford

That the verbal report provided by Council’s Sustainability Officer be acknowledged.

3.6 Energy sub-group - Energy Report

TRIM Reference: 2020/1969

Cr Reg Kidd declared a less than significant non-pecuniary interest in this item, during discussions relating to Solar farms as he has previously been approached to have a solar farm on his property.

The item was determined as not being operational in nature and therefore allowed for discussion, in line with the Committee Charter.

Aim of the report is to suggest and discuss a way forward to reducing energy costs to Council.

Council staff are currently working on a plan to model energy management systems on a Council asset to be able to apply the model to other Council sites over time.

There is a concern that solar famers may be located on productive farmland. There are cases where the co-benefits to solar farming in agricultural productions are realised, such as protecting livestock (sheep) and being able to establish cropping underneath solar panel.

It is important that false facts are not put out there in relation to solar farming.

RECOMMENDATION Mr R Alford/Ms S Alford

That the verbal report provided by Committee member Robert Alford be acknowledged.

MATTERS ARISING Mr R Alford/Ms S Alford

That Council staff consider a policy on the location of, and the aesthetics of solar farms in the Orange Local Government Area.

3.7 Draft Climate Change Policy and Management Plan

TRIM Reference: 2020/1995

Defer to meeting in 2 weeks’ time.

RECOMMENDATION Cr S Nugent/Mr A Kennedy

That:

I. Item 3.7 be deferred for discussion at a specific workshop in 2 weeks - 30 October 2020.

II. Provide ESCC a workshop agenda.

III. ESCC members familiarise themselves with both the Draft Climate Change Strategic Policy and Draft Climate Change Management Plan and prepare questions/comments for the workshop.

IV. That Council provide ESCC a mechanism to discuss/comment on both documents as a group in preparation of the workshop.

The Meeting Closed at 9.35am.

Environmental Sustainability Policy Committee 2 February 2021

3 General Reports

3.1 Annual Waste Diversion and Education Strategy Implementation - 2019/2020

RECORD NUMBER: 2020/2642

AUTHOR: Wayne Davis, Manager Waste Services and Technical Support

EXECUTIVE Summary

Prior to the adoption of the current Domestic Waste and Recycling contract, Council undertook a trial with the community for a fortnightly waste collection. The results were considered by Council at its meeting of 16 February 2016 and resolved the following:

“RESOLVED - 16/049 Cr J Davis/Cr R Kidd

1 That Council adopt a weekly waste collection service frequency for municipal solid waste (red lid waste bin) collection for up to five years of the new NetWaste Waste Services Contract.

2 That Council increase expenditure by $30,000 per annum to implement a comprehensive and ongoing education program to increase waste diversion rates to 70% by 2021, with progress towards this target to be the subject of an annual report to Council.

3 That, subject to Council not being able to achieve the State Government’s required 70% waste diversion target by 2021, or being directed by the State Government to achieve this, Council retain an option to re-negotiate the NetWaste Waste Services Contract within five years to include fortnightly waste collection service frequency to assist in achieving the required 70% waste diversion target. In this circumstance, the matter be brought back to Council.

4 That authority be given to the General Manager to conclude contractual requirements for the NetWaste Waste Services Contract.

5 That approval be granted for the Council Seal to be affixed to relevant documents.”

Link To Delivery/OPerational Plan

The recommendation in this report relates to the Delivery/Operational Plan strategy “8.2 Preserve - Develop and promote initiatives to reduce water, energy and waste in consultation with the community”.

Financial Implications

The implementation of all activities within the Strategy are funded as follows:

Council commitment to waste diversion	$ 30,000
Commitment within Orange Food and Garden Organics Contract	$ 50,000
Commitment within NetWaste Joint Recycling Contract	$ 50,000
Total Annual Funds	$130,000

Policy and Governance Implications

Nil

Recommendation

That the information provided in the report on Annual Waste Diversion and Education Strategy Implementation – 2019/2020 be acknowledged.

further considerations

Consideration has been given to the recommendation’s impact on Council’s service delivery; image and reputation; political; environmental; health and safety; employees; stakeholders and project management; and no further implications or risks have been identified.

SUPPORTING INFORMATION

In July 2016, Orange City Council developed a five year Waste Diversion Education Strategy 2016-2021 entitled “Engaging the Community in Waste Minimisation and Resource Recovery”. The Strategy acts as a guide to achieving a reduction in waste to landfill and diversion of recyclable materials within the Orange community.

This report provides a brief overview of actions undertaken within the 2019/2020 year to assess data and implement behaviour change initiatives as Orange City Council works towards the achievement of Key Result Areas and Targets outlined in the NSW Waste and Resource Recovery Strategy 2014-21 (NSW WARR). Key result areas follow:

Key Result Area 1 Avoid and reduce waste generation

Key Result Area 2 Increase recycling

Key Result Area 3 Divert more waste from landfill

Key Result Area 4 Manage problem waste better

Key Result Area 5 Reduce litter

Key Result Area 6 Reduce illegal dumping.

Target areas within the NSW WARR:

Key Result Area 1 – By 2021 reduce the rate of waste generation per capita

Key Result Area 2 – By 2021 increase recycling rates for:

· Municipal solid waste (MSW) to 70%

· Commercial and industrial waste (C & I) to 70%

· Construction and demolition waste (C & D) to 80%.

Key Result Area 3 – By 2021 increase the waste diverted from landfill to 75%.

2019/20 Waste Diversion Plan Initiatives and Data Results

Each year, EnviroCom undertake a number of waste education initiatives on behalf of Orange City Council. These programs aim to educate and engage the community, collect data and assess community attitudes, knowledge and behaviour in relation to waste generation and disposal behaviours with the aim of promoting and encouraging resource recovery and landfill diversion opportunities. As detailed below, initiatives undertaken over the last few years provide Council with data and evidence to assist in determining the feasibility of transitioning from a weekly to a fortnightly kerbside general waste collecting service.

Orange Audits 2019 and 2020

General waste and Food Organics and Garden Organics (FOGO) stream audits were conducted in Orange under the NetWaste Waste Education Plan (WEP) 2019-20. The following year, as part of the Orange Waste Diversion Education Strategy (WDES) WEP 2020-21, General waste, Recycling and FOGO audits were undertaken. The audits provide valuable data on waste behaviours of Orange residents. The breakdown of the contents of the average general waste bin between audit years is provided in Table 1.

Table 1. Orange audit results

Waste component		% of average general waste bin
Waste component		2019	2020
General waste		48.22%	60.90%
Recyclable materials		19.64%	17.81%
FOGO materials	Total	32.14%	21.29%
	Food waste	21.83%	13.6%
	Garden waste	5.92%	2.25%
	FOGO-acceptable waste	4.39%	4.56%

Current school and community waste education initiatives in Orange

Orange City Council places great emphasis on the importance of education, particularly when it comes to waste, and is very active in this sector. Orange primary schools have been receiving waste education incursions since 2017, under the NetWaste WEP and more recently as part of the FOGO WEP. The topics covered in the primary school incursions focus on waste and a range of other environmental issues, and are as follows:

· Recycling Rules!

· It’s a Wormy World

· Caught on Composting

· Don’t Waste Biodiversity

· Being Resourceful

· Litter, Litter Everywhere!

· The Science of Sorting

· The Wrap on Wrapping

· Food for Thought

Feedback from all schools on these incursions is consistently positive, and presentations are in high demand (although COVID-19 did impact the school incursion program during 2020). All schools within the Orange LGA are offered the opportunity to receive free incursions (years K-6), as well as schools in the Bathurst, Forbes, Parkes, Blayney and Cabonne LGAs. This program is crucial to providing a clear understanding of waste management in the Central West and, by engaging school-aged members of the community, this information can, in turn, be passed on to family members and the broader community.

Community tours of the waste facilities in Orange (the ORRRC and the organics composting facility Euchareena Road Resource Recovery Centre) are offered on an approximately quarterly basis, inviting Orange residents to see up-close how the waste from each of their three bins is landfilled, recycled or composted. The tours run for three hours and attendees have the opportunity to ask questions and visit sites which are not usually accessible to the public. This initiative provides valuable education in waste management and will continue to be run in the future.

Similar to waste facility tours, regular pop-up displays (PUDs) provide an opportunity for residents to speak to Council representatives about waste services and ask any questions they may have about where to dispose of household items. Collateral is handed out to interested residents, including the ORRRC site map, three-bin flyer, recycling reminder magnet, instructions flyer on how to fold a kitchen caddy liner and various giveaway items. Most PUDs in Orange focus on NetWaste’s current pledge campaign, which encourages residents to take the pledge to dispose of their food waste in the green-lidded food & garden waste bin for composting, instead of landfill via the red-lidded general waste bin. “Pledgers” are supplied with a free kitchen caddy, to assist in transporting food waste to the outside bin, as well as a pledge pack (consisting of a large bin sticker, pledge flyer and reminder of items accepted in the green-lidded bin). Recycling-themed PUDs supply yellow ecobins (recycling crates) and involve a fun activity, where residents try to spot five items which don’t belong in the display recycling bin. Each year, around half a dozen PUDs are delivered in the Orange LGA.

Prior to COVID-19, community workshops were a staple in Orange, and delivered at events such as the Sustainable Living Expo, or as standalone evenings open to all members of the community. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face community workshops have been adjusted for delivery as webinars. This method allows for a much larger audience than previously possible, and is more flexible for viewers who might not have been able to travel to the venue in-person. Past topics include worm farming, home composting, the state of waste in Orange and soft plastics recycling.

EnviroCom has been engaged to support waste diversion and promote correct recycling behaviours at large events in Orange, such as the Wine Week Markets and F.O.O.D. Week Night Markets. In the lead up to the events, signage was developed and information collated for market vendors and for event attendees, in order to ensure sustainable packaging options were selected by vendors and that each disposal point was clearly marked with the relevant accepted waste type. Over the course of each event, staff were positioned by the bin stations and assisted attendees in disposing of their waste in the correct bin, and answered any questions posed by attendees with regards to waste. This role was due to continue for future events but was unfortunately cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in many cancelled events in Orange. The event support role will continue when regular event operation resumes.

Ophir Road Waste Data Report 2019-20

Since 2015, data collected by the Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre weighbridge has been analysed to identify patterns and trends in waste behaviours in Orange. As demonstrated in the most recent report, there is a clear downward trend in overall waste generation, from 1.77 tonnes produced per capita per annum in 2016 to 1.35 tonnes in 2020. With regard to municipal solid waste, the WARR target for 2021 is a 70% diversion rate. In Orange, this figure has grown from 45% diversion in 2016 and currently sits at 58% diversion in 2020.

The overall waste diversion rate for 2020 is recorded as 43%, significantly lower than the WARR target of 75% by 2021. However, it should be noted that although the diversion rate has decreased, so too has the waste generation rate, as previously mentioned. Efforts need to be made in the C&I and C&D sectors to attempt to divert more waste materials from landfill, as the diversion rates of each of these streams is far lower than that of MSW. For further details, please refer to the Ophir Road Waste Data Report 2019-20 previously provided to Council.

C&D and C&I waste stream diversion efforts in Orange

In 2017, a project aimed at reducing Commercial and Industrial (C&I) waste was begun under the Orange Waste Diversion and Education Strategy. It was proposed that local cafes be approached and asked to take part in a free waste consultation, to assess the potential for waste reduction and recycling/diversion within the business. This expanded over the years to include other small and medium/large businesses, with a focus on cafes/restaurants in order to divert organics from landfill. EnviroCom was able to develop case studies, featuring local businesses which successfully managed their waste in a positive way and are now benefiting from the social and economic value this brings. The Business Waste project was due to continue under the 2020-21 WDES contract, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions placed on hospitality venues, this has been put on hold until a later date (anticipated to be 2021).

Forming a large part of the 2019-20 WDES contract, the C&D Processes Review was proposed by Council to bring into the focus the current disposal methods within the Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste stream. This project is made up of three phases, the first of which involves interviewing and inspecting construction sites around Orange, providing a valuable insight from those in the building and construction industry. The project will result in the development of a new Waste Management Plan for Council, to be included in DA applications submitted within the Orange LGA. The C&D Processes Review is due to be completed by the end of the 2020-21 financial year, to assist in increasing the diversion of C&D waste from landfill.

As the waste diversion hub of Orange, the Ophir Road Resource Recovery Centre (ORRRC) plays an important part in the city’s waste management. In 2018, new signage was installed at the ORRRC to provide clear instruction on the types of waste accepted by the facility, and directions on where each drop off point is located within the site. This has assisted residents in learning more about alternative waste disposal methods and increased confidence in resource recovery. Hard copy site maps are available at the ORRRC weighbridge.

Comparison between Orange, Forbes and Parkes

Figures drawn from the JR Richards & Sons monthly reports allow comparisons to be made between nearby councils. Forbes and Parkes both have kerbside FOGO, recycling and general waste services, with the key difference that general waste is collected fortnightly in these areas, as opposed to Orange’s weekly collection servicing frequency.

Diversion rates vary slightly between each LGA, with Orange recording the highest diversion in the FOGO stream (45%) and Parkes topping the list for recycling diversion (17%), closely followed by Forbes at 16%. It should be noted that as a “greener” and more vegetation-rich area, it is reasonable to expect that higher volumes of garden organics might be observed within the Orange FOGO stream than in either Forbes or Parkes. It is anticipated that a fortnightly general waste collection would encourage residents to better separate and thereby divert waste, by correctly using the FOGO bin for all food waste, and the recycling bin for all recyclables. In theory, this would free up space in the general waste bin to comfortably contain a fortnight’s worth of residual waste.

An average general waste bin weight is calculated and provided in the JRR reports each month. For the 2019/20 financial year period, this ranged from 6.65kg (January) per household up to 11.63kg (May) per household in the Forbes LGA, with an annual average of 9.65kg per month. In Parkes, this figure sits between 9.13kg (May) per household and 13.03kg (January), averaging 10.95kg across the month. Orange has recorded higher but more stable figures, averaging 11.87kg per month and fluctuating between 11.36kg (November) per household and 12.77kg (May). From these figures, it is clear that Orange residents have the capacity to divert more material from the general waste bin by correctly using Council’s 3-bin service and present lighter/less full bins. It can be inferred that the requirement to fit a fortnight’s worth of waste into the general waste bin has encouraged Forbes and Parkes residents to either reduce their overall waste and/or better segregate waste materials.

Looking at the FOGO stream across the three councils, Orange presents the lowest amount of organic waste for diversion through the green-lidded FOGO bin per month, at 4.7kg per household. Forbes households present an average of 5.28kg in the FOGO bin in each month, and Parkes, a similar 5.23kg. This could be an indication that more food waste is being presented in the FOGO bin in Forbes and Parkes, corresponding with the lighter general waste bins. Although Orange households present less organic material for diversion, the contamination rate within the FOGO stream is considerably low, at just 0.01kg per household per week. The contamination rate for Forbes and Parkes is not stated in the monthly reports, but from the 2019 NetWaste audits a contamination rate of 4.44% was calculated for Parkes and 5.88% for Forbes. Orange noted a 1.66% contamination rate in the audited FOGO loads in the same report. It is possible that contamination is higher in Forbes and Parkes due to the likelihood of some households using their FOGO bin as an overflow option when the general waste bin capacity is exceeded between collection days. Furthermore, Orange households show clear seasonal peaks in bin weights (peaks in October and April), whereas Forbes and Parkes household bin weights fluctuate less on a month-to-month basis and show a small peak between February and April. This may be partly due to Orange’s extensive greenspace and well-vegetated areas.

The recycling stream data shows a different story – the average Orange household presents a recycling bin of 5.38kg, Parkes households presented an average of 4.1kg and Forbes households presented the lowest average recycling bin weight, at 3.94kg.

Bin fullness and presentation in Orange

In addition to the audits, bin inspections have also been conducted in Orange for the FOGO stream since 2016, and recycling bin inspections commenced in 2018. The data collected from these programs has provided valuable insight into waste disposal behaviours in Orange and can assist in analysing whether Orange could switch, with minimal disruption to regular waste habits, to a fortnightly general waste collection.

Data of general waste bin fullness was collected in Orange for the first time in September 2020, as part of the annual bin inspection program. It is important to note that bin inspections provide only a snapshot into waste behaviours in the Orange LGA, and thus are not representative of the entire council area.

Five areas were mapped and inspected in Orange’s bin inspections. Overall, more than half (55%) of general waste bins were observed to have a bin fullness rating of 1-59%, although 29% of bins were observed in the two highest fullness categories (90% and 100% full).

Table Two. Percentage number of general waste bins in each fullness category as a percentage of all inspected general waste bins.

Fullness category	Area 1	Area 2	Area 3	Area 4	Area 5	Total (average)
1-59% full	57%	73%	69%	66%	54%	64%
60-100% full	43%	27%	31%	34%	46%	36%

The majority of bins in all areas were recorded as 1-59% full. The data presented in Table Two suggests that some areas would possibly have little trouble (in regards to available capacity) in switching to a fortnightly waste collection, as the percentage of bins in the 60-100% full category was relatively low. Nevertheless, for those households with bins in the 60-100% full category, such a change may prove difficult.

Table Three. Percentage number of FOGO bins in each fullness category as a percentage of all inspected FOGO bins.

Fullness category	Area 1	Area 2	Area 3	Area 4	Area 5	Total (average)
1-59% full	47%	55%	57%	57%	56%	55%
60-100% full	53%	45%	43%	43%	44%	45%

Of the FOGO bins inspected, more than half (55%) were observed to have a bin fullness rating of 1-59% full. Only 9% of observed FOGO bins were 100% full. Encouraging households to utilise their FOGO bin for the disposal of all food waste will result in even less waste being presented in the general waste bin, thereby assisting residents to transition to a fortnightly general waste collection. While available capacity is not the biggest challenge here, a fortnightly general waste collection is likely to require a change in community waste disposal habits and behaviours that should be supported by targeted and strategic education and community engagement.

Presentation is defined as the bin being presented to the kerb for collection – unpresented bins, even if clearly visible on the property, are not inspected.

Table Four. Presentation rates of each waste stream between inspection years.

Waste stream	2019 (Mar) presentation rates	2020 (Sep) presentation rates
General waste	82%	83%
Recycling	79%	84%
FOGO	38%	53%

The presentation rate of the general waste bin during the inspection weeks averaged 83%, compared to recycling bin presentation at 84% and FOGO bin presentation at 53% (FOGO bin presentation fluctuates seasonally due to changes in the amount of garden waste). It is assumed that bins that are not presented for collection are not full, and therefore have capacity to fit more waste. A low FOGO presentation rate, even during spring/summer when garden waste disposal is high, could imply that the bin is not being used for the disposal of food waste. It is expected that residents would prefer to empty food waste from kerbside bins regularly to avoid odour and flies.

By changing the collection frequency of the general waste bin from weekly to fortnightly, it is possible that Orange City Council could see an immediate improvement in the diversion of recyclables and compostable materials from the general waste stream.

Summary

The data collected in Orange to-date have some limitations, as general waste volumes are not inspected prior to collection, and individual households with high waste volumes are not able to be accounted for. It is noted that measurements of individual container peaks, using weekly load average masses, significantly smooths the peaks, and it is the households at this peak generation that will struggle with a service frequency change. In future, to gather more information in these areas, Council may wish to consider the following:

· Continuing volumetric bin inspections in the general waste stream

· Continuing volumetric inspections in the FOGO and recycling streams

· Selected sampling of high volume general waste bins to identify any commonalities between high volume bins

From the data provided, it is clear that many Orange households have room for improvement when it comes to source separation, and that fully utilising the FOGO bin service rather than disposing of recoverable organic waste in the general waste stream will significantly improve resource recovery rates and free up space in the red-lidded general waste bin. The majority of households do not present a full general waste bin every week, so it is anticipated that most households will not be disadvantaged or lack adequate space for their waste if general waste collection was changed from weekly to fortnightly. Changes in regular waste habits and behaviours will be necessary for most households, to start using the FOGO bin as the preferred food waste disposal bin rather than the general waste bin.

For households that generate a high volume of general waste, support could be provided in several forms:

· Additional education around the recycling and FOGO bin services, as a reminder of all materials that are accepted in these streams

· Provision of a free or discounted kitchen caddy, potentially in combination with encouraging residents to ‘take the pledge’^{^[1]} and receive the associated education materials, to assist in the take-up of the FOGO service

· Organisation of an exclusive waste facility tour or educational Q&A-style session for these households, to bring attention to the importance of waste diversion and discuss ways households can reduce their general waste

· The option to select a different bin configuration, such as two general waste bins collected fortnightly, one general waste bin collected weekly, or a larger general waste bin, in order to meet the required capacity for the household’s waste.

Council will continue to work with its consultant and the community on initiatives to improve on reducing the overall waste volumes sent to landfill for the remaining one year of the five year strategy.

[1] The Pledge Campaign commenced in 2017 under the NetWaste contract, and encourages residents in Orange, Bathurst, Forbes and Parkes to take the pledge and commit to disposing of all household food waste in the green-lidded food & garden waste bin, rather than the red-lidded general waste bin.