Coffs Harbour City Local Government Area has long had the reputation of being a bad neighbour to the Clarence Valley - this month it proves it once again

 

It doesn’t take long when discussing life on the ground during low rain periods along the Clarence River for the conversation to turn to Coffs Harbour City’s historical rapacious attitude when it comes to accessing Clarence River catchment water.

In 2023 we may be muttering about Coffs Harbour 'greed' again as Winter approaches and the Bureau of Meteorology May 2023 ENSO Outlook remains at El Niño WATCH - Braylesford and Newbold in the Clarence Valley are already listed as "Drought Affected" parishes on NSW Dept. of Primary Industries' Combined Drought Indicator mapping. 

Now it seems Coffs Harbour wishes to also gain a foothold within Clarence Valley landfill sites - as yet another lazy option to its long-term problems.

Coffs Harbour City 'red bin' solid garbage
IMAGE: ABC News, 10 May 2021

It appears that Coffs Harbour City Council sitting on a local landfill problem for at least two decades, has run through the goodwill of Nambucca, Bellingen & Tamworth and, finding the current landfill charges in south-east Queensland no longer to its liking, has decided that the Clarence Valley is the next best place to dump its unprocessed garbage.

At the Clarence Valley Council Ordinary Monthly Meeting on 18 April 2023 councillors unanimously vote to defer a decision until the outcome of the meetings proposed by Bellingen Shire Council for a regional waste solution are known.

However, Coffs Harbour continues with its approaches via the media.

The National Tribune, 11 May 2023:

City of Coffs Harbour is to ask the neighbouring councils of Clarence Valley and Nambucca Valley to allow access to their landfill sites for the City’s red bin waste for the next 4 years.

The City has processed the yellow and green bin waste for Bellingen and Nambucca Shires since 2007 and will continue to do so until the end of the current waste contract in 2027.

“Our neighbouring local government areas all have landfill sites that can accommodate residual red bin waste for decades to come,” said Andrew Beswick, the City’s Director Sustainable Infrastructure.

“In the meantime, our own waste facility is near capacity and we are having red bin waste trucked 3 times per day, 6 days per week to Queensland.

“The City would therefore welcome neighbourly assistance with accepting up to 15,000 tonnes each of the City’s residual red bin waste for the 4-year period ending June 2027. The City is offering payment for this service.

“We’re all interested in discussions over a regional plan for waste management after 2027, but the City’s immediate issue is the disposal of its red bin residual waste for the next 4 years.” …...

Clarence Valley Council is considering prohibiting the sale or distribution of balloons on council controlled land

Clarence Valley Council is considering prohibiting the sale or distribution of balloons on council controlled land.

Given the numerous waterways within the Clarence Valley such a ban would be a wise move.

Typically those councillors who are ideologically opposed to any move to protect the environment and local wildlife will be out to quash the motion progressing the proposed ban when it comes before the Ordinary Monthly Meeting on 25 June 2019.

It will be more than disappointing if they succeed, as plastic waste is becoming highly visible in river and beach sand

Excerpts from Clarence Valley Council’s 18 June 2019 Environment, Planning & Community Committee Business Paper:

OFFICER RECOMMENDATION

That:

1. All balloons be prohibited on Council managed lands and facilities.

2. The terms and conditions for the hire of Council parks and facilities be amended to restrict the sale and distribution of balloons.

3. Council’s Market Policy be amended to include a condition restricting the sale and distribution of balloons and the changes adopted.

4. Future development consents for function centres or similar facilities be conditioned to restrict the sale and distribution of balloons.

5. Council implement a public awareness campaign about the environmental impacts of balloons.

BACKGROUND

There has been considerable community debate over many years regarding the adverse environmental impacts from the release of balloons into the environment. At its meeting held on 8 February 2019 the Climate Change Advisory Committee resolved to recommend that Council:

1. Prohibit all balloons on Council managed land.

2. Include a condition in any development consent for function centres (Party/Event venues) to prohibit balloons.

3. Instigate a public awareness campaign about the environmental impacts of balloons.

KEY ISSUES

Any released balloon, at best, becomes litter. They may also end up in the stormwater, rivers and oceans where they are ingested by aquatic animals. The balloons, along with any ribbons or plastic disks attached, can harm the animals by blocking their airways or becoming lodged in their intestines. Balloons and balloon fragments are often mistaken for food and swallowed, which can cause injury and death. The string attached to the balloon can also be dangerous as they can strangle or entrap animals. Birds have been found tangled in the strings of balloons making them unable to fly or search for food. A 2016 CSIRO study identified balloons among the top three most harmful pollutants threatening marine wildlife, along with plastic bags and bottles.

NSW Legislation

The Protection of the Environment Operations Act (POEO) makes it illegal to release more than 20 helium filled balloons, the release of any type of balloon would also be considered a littering offence under the POEO Act.

Management Controls

Council has a number of opportunities to control the use of balloons on Council controlled lands through the terms and conditions for the approval and hire of various parks and facilities. Councils ‘Market Policy’ could be amended to include a condition banning the sale or distribution of balloons. Council can also impose a condition on development consents for any future function centre or similar development restricting the use of balloons. It is not envisaged that Council Rangers would actively enforce these controls, rather they would be managed through the hiring and approval systems with event organisers.

Alternatives to Balloons

There are many examples of alternatives to balloons including flags, banners, streamers, dancing inflatables, bunting, lighting of candles and luminaries, battery operated bubble blowing machine and plants or gifts in remembrance.

Disposal problems with waste water from coal-bed methane wells in the U.S.

Full article at http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Rubinstein_article_final.pdf

Looking back at a time when the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association sometimes told the unvarnished truth

A time when the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) was honest with the people of New South Wales:

3 August 2011

Coal seam damage to water inevitable

Ben Cubby

THE coal seam gas industry has conceded that extraction will inevitably contaminate aquifers.

The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association told a fiery public meeting in Sydney that good management could minimise the risks of water contamination, but never eliminate them.

"Drilling will, to varying degrees, impact on adjoining aquifers," said the spokesman, Ross Dunn. "The extent of impact and whether the impact can be managed is the question."

The admissions came before the start of the first public hearing in NSW, held in Narrabri, of a Senate inquiry into the effects of coal seam gas mining.

The hearing was told that many farmers in northern and western NSW were angry about proposals to extract coal seam gas from their land, and some planned to join a mass campaign to lock their gates in the face of resources companies...

"The intent of saying that is to make it clear that we have never shied away from the fact that there will be impacts on aquifers," Mr Dunn said.

"I'm wanting to ensure that we are not seen as saying there won't be any impacts during the process. It is a matter of monitoring and managing those impacts."...

Of course, immediately after the publication of this article APPEA denied the published quotes of its spokesperson.

However, on 7 March 2014 The Sydney Morning Herald published an article which supported APPEA's original statements:

A coal seam gas project operated by energy company Santos in north-western NSW has contaminated a nearby aquifer, with uranium at levels 20 times higher than safe drinking water guidelines, an official investigation has found.

It is the first confirmation of aquifer contamination associated with coal seam gas activity in Australia - a blow to an industry pushing state and federal governments for permission to expand.

Santos was fined $1500 by the NSW Environment Protection Authority, which posted a media release on its website on February 18, without identifying the nature of the contamination.

Two days later, Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner signed a memorandum of understanding with Santos to speed up the project, in the Pilliga forest near Narrabri, guaranteeing a decision on its future by January 23 next year.

The EPA says it launched an investigation after routine testing in March last year by Santos of groundwater around the project - which remains in the test well stage - detected ''elevated levels of total dissolved solids and slightly elevated levels of other elements''.

The investigation concluded there was no evidence contractors engaged by the previous owner of the project, Eastern Star Gas, followed strict rules when building a pond to hold waste water and brine produced when gas is extracted. The investigation concluded the pond liner was of ''poor quality, which resulted in the integrity of the liner being questionable''.

On Friday, EPA chief environmental regulator Mark Gifford confirmed the contamination was caused by water leaking from the pond and that lead, aluminium, arsenic, barium, boron, nickel and uranium had been detected in an aquifer at levels ''elevated when compared to livestock, irrigation and health guidelines''.

Mr Gifford said the metals are ''not additives'' and occur naturally in the surrounding soil and water.

''However, the leaking pond has mobilised the elements and moved them into the aquifer, increasing their concentrations,'' he said...

Read more at : http://www.smh.com.au/environment/santos-coal-seam-gas-project-contaminates-aquifer-20140307-34csb.html

Note: My red bolding

How to make a paper bin liner for that little green kitchen bin

This was The Daily Examiner editor in the 7 August 2012 issue, on the subject of how to make the most of the new Clarence Valley Council waste management system of which both she and most local residents heartily approve:

My first effort at using the little green kitchen bin ended pretty badly, with a lot of  newspaper used and even more disinfectant used afterwards……

We'll help each other get used to the change and make it work. The first step of that is the origami newspaper competition we launched today (see page 5).
Fully aware it leaves us open to a plethora of jokes and I can already imagine the spray we're going to cop on at least one local media observers' blog site ("We've always said The DEX is rubbish etc"), I'm still going to push the message: Forget the Tele, wrap your scraps in The DEX - a thoroughly decent read and thoroughly useful product.  

To help everyone who is finding the bench-top kitchen scraps bin a bit of a challenge, here are a few paper bin liner instruction videos that may possibly be adapted to accommodate the smaller sheet size of many Australian newspapers.

http://youtu.be/BfEX85V9n8w

http://youtu.be/IhzKEeCmOfc

http://youtu.be/PWcMlIsXWdo

A simple to follow paper folding diagram can be found here.