Bega Valley Shire Council plans to modernise their Waste Services Strategy, adopting an inclusive, community-centred approach that fosters long-term waste management in the shire.
Strategy development will bring a wide range of residents to the table, including young people, as it develops a major waste management strategy for the next 10 years.
Council’s Waste Strategy Coordinator, Tim Cook said great strategies start with a broad identification of needs and the capacity of an organisation to deliver.
“This strategy will be drafted as a collaboration between the people of the Bega Valley and our Waste Services team who have developed strong community ties across many projects,” Mr Cook said.
“Our first step is to call on local people to nominate for a place on a Community Working Group.
“We each have a responsibility when it comes to waste management, including the younger generation, which is why we are opening working group nominations to shire residents aged 15 and above.
“Through many years of running waste education programs in local schools, we have come to realise just how switched-on young people are when it comes to waste management.
“The decisions we make now will directly influence the well-being of future generations, and we are proud to involve young people in helping us to draft a new strategy.”
Mr Cook said the current Waste Management and Resource Recovery Strategy (2018-2028) ‘Recycling the Future’ needs a revision to keep up with changes in priorities, funding and legislated requirements.
“Much has changed since 2018,” Mr Cook said. “In just five years, effective waste management has become more important than ever while needing to fit in with a world of shifting priorities.
“Locally, for example, we became increasingly aware of the need to ready our landfill sites for emergencies, and globally, priorities have shifted as many people focus on the cost of living instead of making environmentally sound decisions.
“It’s these shifting paradigms and more that a new strategy must address; finding a way for waste management to be achievable and to fit in with the pressures of everyday living.
“Once established, the first task of the working group will be to collaborate with Council in developing a comprehensive service level review that looks at what we are doing well and areas where we could improve.
“This will provide a foundation from where community aspirations and alignment with our adopted resourcing strategy can be built. Through being open, realistic and transparent we can draft a strategy that plots a way forward through a changing landscape.”
To learn more about the project, including information on the projected timeline and budget, visit the project webpage.
To learn more about the Community Working Group and nominate for a position, visit the project Have Your Say page. Nominations are being accepted until 11.59pm on Sunday 27 August 2023.
