The Department of Environment and Conservation recently approved the development of the newest Class III landfill for Perth.

Local waste management company Perthwaste has been granted a Works Approval for a Class III landfill on a large rural site 100 kilometres south of Perth off Albany Highway.

The landfill, to be known as the North Bannister Waste Facility will be capable of receiving 200,000 tonnes per annum of waste from the Perth region. It took only 14 months from identifying the site to achieving the Works Approval.

The process although very speedy was not easy. The permitting of the facility required Environmental Referral to the Office of the Environmental Protection Authority, approval from the Federal Environmental Protection Authority to clear native vegetation under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and extensive community consultation with the local stake holders.

Bowman & Associates

Bowman & Associates acted as Consulting Engineers facilitating the development of the North Bannister Waste Facility by providing the following services:

• Initial Site Investigation,
• Concept Design and Planning,
• Environmental Modelling based on DEC approved softwares,
• Construction Staging and Design,
• Developed Site Specific Landfill Management Plan,
• Tender Document Preparation, and
• Construction Specification.

Construction of the landfill will commence later this year and is scheduled to be operational in 2013.

With the impending arrival of the Clean Energy Future legislation at the end of June this year, there are new assessment requirements for waste management enterprises under the National Greenhouse Emissions Reporting Scheme (NGERS). Bowman & Associates has been carefully following changes to the reporting requirements of the NGERS and is now positioned to offer a range of consulting solutions to assess emissions, report on results and provide expert advice to your business.

New NGER Capabilities Include:

• Assessment of Emissions using both Method 1 and Method 2 Modelling Methodologies for Solid Waste, Gas Flaring, Composting, Anaerobic Digestion, Liquid Waste Treatment and Incineration.
• Calculation of Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) / Carbon Tax reporting liability, and future likelihood of the need to report.
• Scenario Modelling for changes in site infrastructure, waste streams or technologies.
• Development of monitoring programs and infrastructure to build capacity for future Method 2/3/4 modelling of emissions.
• Expert advice on ways to limit emissions and associated carbon tax liability.
• Peer review and third party assessment of management practices and representative sample selection.

The West Australian newspaper released an article on 29^th June 2011 “slamming the State Government’s increase in 2009 of the landfill levy which was intended to increase recycling rates”.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics report into the waste management industry shows that WA diverts 28.2 per cent of all rubbish from landfill sites compared with a national figure of 42.6 per cent. It named WA the lowest recycling rate in the country that reuses less than half as much waste as South Australia. This report has sparked renewed criticism of the State Government’s landfill levy. It comes after last month’s State Budget showed the Government would fail to meet its Perth recycling target by 10 per cent this financial year.

What is happening to the levy collected!

Premier Colin Barnett increased landfill levy by 300 per cent in 2009. The decision came under heavy fire amid revelations the tax windfall would be hived off into the Department of Environment and Conservation‘s budget rather than being tied to recycling initiatives.

What needs to be done!

Bruce Bowman, spokesman for Waste Management Association of Australia WA had an opportunity to comment on the reasons for the shortcoming in recycling rate. He said that “the industry supported the higher levy provided it was used to drive up the recycling rate. He called on the Government to redirect all the landfill levy collected to the Waste Authority, which oversees recycling initiatives. That money could go a long way to developing infrastructure in the waste industry that could process or divert waste away from landfill”.

 The complete article can be read on The West Australian

Environment Minister Bill Marmion today welcomed to the State’s Waste Authority four new members whose individual skills strengthen the Waste Authority, chaired by Jim Malcolm with planning expertise to address long-term waste management planning issues and, for the first time, includes a member to ensure a regional focus.

 The new members are:

Jennifer Bloom

A change management and strategic planning specialist with expertise in process re-engineering, she has a proven track record in leading major projects. Ms Bloom is an elected board member of a recognised progressive Aboriginal corporation and an elected representative in the local government of Broome.

Neil Foley

With qualifications in regional and urban planning, Mr Foley has worked in a range of senior government roles and is currently Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at The University of Western Australia.

Marcus Geisler

Continues his position on the Waste Authority and has been promoted to deputy chair.  Mr Geisler provides years of experience in the waste industry at both an operational and management level, including three years in the Melbourne Corporate Office of a waste management multinational, developing national and State strategies. 

Michele Rosano

Experienced in sales and marketing for the resources and industrial products areas, Ms Rosano is also an economist in natural resource management. After working in Europe and Asia, she now heads up the Sustainable Engineering Group at Curtin University and is interested in corporate sustainability.

The full story can be downloaded from Minesterial Media Statements.

Bowman & Associates Pty Ltd was engaged by Perthwaste Pty Ltd (Perthwaste), to conduct an environmental Due Diligence investigation into the possible establishment of a Class II or Class III putrescible waste disposal landfill. The objective of the landfill facility is to cater for the projected waste disposal volumes from the Perth Metropolitan Region for the next 17 years, after considering the growth of Alternative Waste Treatment Plants. The potential site identified after investigation is a parcel of land situated off the Albany Highway in the Shire of Boddington. We were awarded the contract by Perthwaste to work as consultant to expand on the Due Diligence Report and prepare the documentations required for environmental approvals including design of the landfill.

Environmental Approval

The criteria for an environmental approval would have to satisfy Part IV of the Environmental Protection (EP) Act in the form of an Environmental Referral to the EPA and then will lead to the preparation and submission of the Works Approval document, as per Part V of the EP Act, to the Department of Environment (DEC) this year.  

Several environmental impact assessments have been carried out for the site and community consultation was held with various stake holders on the proposed engineered landfill facility. Perthwaste has lodged the Environmental Referral to the EPA early June 2011 and is awaiting a decision.  The details of the project and environmental assessments can be found on the Perthwaste website.

Landfill Development Guideline

Based on the outcomes of recent discussions with the DEC, Bowman & Associates is developing the landfill design, construction and management plan in accordance with the Best Practice Environmental Management – Siting, Design, Operation and Rehabilitation of Landfills EPA-Victoria 2010.

 Our experience and expertise in various aspects such as 

• Landfill Feasibility, Approval and Development,
• Landfill Management Plans and Landfill Closure Plans,
• Community and Stakeholder Consultations,
• Landfill Construction Management, and
• Relationships with Local Government Authorities.

 have helped in identifying this proposal to be ideal for a landfill project and thereafter in developing the necessary approval, management and design documentations

Our company Director Bruce Bowman, who is also a Director of the Waste Management Association of Australia (WMAA), attended the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week in Parramatta. Prior to the AGM the NSW WMAA Branch hosted a breakfast seminar with speakers presenting on developments in the NSW C&D sector.

Of particular interest was an overview of the Specification for Supply of Recycled Material for Pavements, Earthworks and Drainage 2010. The Specification was developed by the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australia  (IPWEA) and can be found at www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/warr/104SupplyofRecycledMaterial.pdf

Use of Recycled Concrete Road Base for Road Pavements in WA

Bowman & Associates was involved in the development of a Western Australian based draft Specification for the use of recycled concrete road base (RCRB) in road pavements during 2010. Using funding provided by the Waste Authority’s from the West Australian landfill Levy Fund Bowman & Associates managed the project undertaken by ARRB Group and Curtin University which involved a literacy review, laboratory trials and evaluation in insitu pavements made using RCRB.

Whilst this new Specification is aimed primarily at Local Government, it was shown that recycled products have exceptionally good performance characteristics and should be considered as a premium product suitable for high-stress road making applications. 

Professor Hamid Nikraz of Curtin University said “The C&D recycling industry continues to develop and improve its products to meet these specifications, and C&D materials should be considered for adoption by designers, construction contractors and the State road authorities.

It was found that the existing RCRB Specifications, that have their origins based on virgin aggregate, did not account for the porous nature of crushed concrete and the potential for ongoing rehydration of cement in the RCRB pavement.  This new Specification addresses this issue without compromising pavement quality and overall performance.”

A copy of the research report and new draft Specification is available from either the Waste Authority, the C&D Working Group’s member’s portal on the WMAA website or by contacting Bowman & Associates.

Bowman & Associates were successful in securing funding in 2010 under the SWIS to investigate the volume of plate glass going to landfill in Perth. The investigation involved contact with plate glass industry stakeholders to estimate the amount of waste plate glass being produced. Contact was made with the waste industry to provide a cross reference of volumes being discarded by glass companies and glaziers and volumes going to landfill.

Overview of the project

The quantity of plate glass being sent to Perth landfills each year has been an unknown quantity. Plate glass is produced by glaziers but is also collected and included in the Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste stream. Research was required to determine the volume of waste plate glass going to Class I inert and Class II/III putrescible landfills and what potential re-use and recovery opportunities exist for the waste plate glass produced in Western Australia.

The investigation of the volume of plate glass going to landfill in Perth involved both desk top and contact with plate glass industry stakeholders to estimate the amount of waste plate glass being produced. Contact was also made with the waste industry (waste transport companies and landfill operators) to allow a cross reference of volume being discarded and volume going the landfill.

Potential markets for both waste plate glass and products from waste plate glass were investigated.

Outcomes

Waste plate glass was disposed both in the general waste stream and the C&D waste stream. Within the general waste stream there were immediate opportunities for source separation by organising glass-only bins, particularly in the larger glass companies. However, within the C&D waste stream any separation of waste plate glass is currently unlikely due to its minor contribution to that waste stream.

Contacting stakeholders provided an opportunity to enhance the knowledge of the glass industry, waste transport companies and potential waste glass recyclers as to the potential plate glass recycling industry and the volumes currently going to landfill.

Glass companies ranged in size from sole trader companies that produce minimal waste glass to the four larger companies that service the Perth Metropolitan region and together produce up to 2,076 m³ per annum. Smaller companies dispose of waste plate glass in mobile garbage bins or skip bins collected by waste transport companies. Larger companies dispose of waste plate glass in larger skip bins that are collected weekly. The total waste glass produced by 238 glass companies identified in Perth was estimated to be around 12,400 m³ per annum.

Waste plate glass as a component of Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste remains unknown in WA, but if it is assumed to comprise around 0.1%, then 1,700 m³ of waste plate glass may also be produced by the C&D industry each year. Perth’s waste plate glass production may therefore be in the order of 14,100 m³ per annum.

All waste plate glass ends up in Class I inert or Class II/III putrescible landfills, however the transport companies and landfill sites do not always record glass as a separate waste stream, leading to a discrepancy in the quantity of plate glass received. The transport companies contacted reported an estimate of 9,750 m³ of waste plate glass transported to landfill per annum. The nine landfill sites contacted reported an estimate of 1,827 m³ of waste plate glass received per annum; significantly lower quantities than those reported by both the glass companies and waste transport companies. The majority of waste plate glass is unquantified, being transported and entering landfills as either general waste or C&D waste.

Plate glass is not recycled in Western Australia and cannot be recycled using the same equipment as those for container glass. Colmax Glass, who has recently established a facility in Kewdale in WA, aims to process virtually all container and plate glass collected in Perth and its surrounds. The Waste Authority has already assisted Colmax Glass to establish a container glass recycling facility in WA.

Colmax Glass currently transport crushed container glass to South Australian and eastern states markets, and donate finer grades locally as fill material, for brick making and for use in road base. Pioneer Road Services also crush container glass to use in road base.

In NSW waste plate glass is maintained as a separate waste stream and reprocessed by fibreglass insulation manufacturers. International markets for recycled waste plate glass include: aggregates in road base, asphalt, tiles and concrete/cement; decorative aggregates for architectural facades, landscaping, and concrete bench tops; fibreglass; glass grit for blast cleaning and glass beads; road marking glass spheres; mulch; hard flooring surfaces; filtration and drainage material; as an alternative to sand in golf courses, for pipe and paver bedding, in general fill/backfill and as landfill cover; foam glass; aquarium gravel; as an additive to swimming pool plaster materials and the construction of sports turfs. There is potential for the development of some similar markets in WA once the opportunity to process waste plate glass is provided.

The Waste Authority has an opportunity through its powers under the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery (WARR) Act to introduce a niche plate glass recycling industry by channelling waste plate glass to an organisation such as Colmax Glass and away from landfill. With the assistance of the Waste Authority, the waste plate glass industry can potentially divert over 14,000 m³ per annum of waste with high embedded energy away from landfill.

This project is supported by the Western Australian Landfill Levy Fund and the Waste Authority.

Funding Announcement

Environment Minister Bill Marmion has announced the recipients of Round Two grants of the 2010  Strategic Waste Initiatives Scheme (SWIS). Mr Marmion said  “It is essential that we increase the amount of material being recycled and reused, and improve the way we manage waste.”

Four organisations have been awarded SWIS funding to support a range of waste management projects, from glass crushing plants to training in biodegradable waste recovery.

Funding Allocation

City of Rockingham - $46,000 – Mechanical and manual separation of waste wood at the landfill for supply to re-use markets. The project involves an education component to improve levels of source separation

Fulton Hogan Industries – $50,000 - A new primary crusher to service the current glass plant. The company can then improve the quality and consistency of the crushed glass enabling the increased use of recycled glass in asphalt

Perth Market Authority – $35,000 - Support for appropriate capital equipment to recover and recycle biodegradable waste, helping to reduce waste from the market to landfill by up to 80 per cent each year

Shire of Derby/West Kimberley – $50,000 - Money will be used to investigate the logistics of reusing construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Support will be provided towards the cost of mobile crushing equipment, to crush suitable C&D waste for use as drainage aggregate, road base or any other suitable use.

Based in Perth Western Australia, Bowman and Associates have been the heavy hitters in the Waste Management game for some time. Our team of top class consultants have been on the biggest and the smallest projects, but the results never change. Here at Bowman and Associates we like to do the job properly first time every time so that our clients are never disappointed and the environment is better off because of our intervention.

For a bit more insight into the people who actually work in our team here at Bowman, please visit our People Page.

Bowman & Associates Services

The range of projects that we are experienced in is quite extensive, please take the time to look through our Services Page and explore each area to find out how Bowman and Associates can help your company. Or if you would prefer you can simply contact us directly via the web form on the right hand side of this page. One of our consultants will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Alternatively you can give us a call. All of our contact information can be found on our Contact Page

Environment Minister Bill Marmion has announced the recipients of Round Two grants of the 2010  Strategic Waste Initiatives Scheme (SWIS). Mr Marmion said  “It is essential that we increase the amount of material being recycled and reused, and improve the way we manage waste,” Full details can be found at www.zerowastewa.com.au