Hot news:

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
Earlier this month the Barwon Regional Waste Management Group hosted a regional launch of the Don't Be A Tosser- Bin Your Butts campaign here in Geelong. The launch was held at the Lord of Isles Tavern, and saw local MP Ian Trezise, president of the AHA Peter Burnett and representatives from Sustainability Victoria join with directors, member council officers and local publicans in launching the campaign. The campaign, developed by Sustainability Victoria, supports Pubs and Clubs and Local Government in educating, providing infrastructure and enforcement to prevent an increase in cigarette butt litter as a result of an introduction of the smoking ban in Victoria's licensed premises on July 1 2007.

Mr Ian Trezise Member for Geelong officially launches the "Don't Be A Tosser" campaign in Geelong

NEWS FROM THE EXECUTIVE
OFFICER
The Barwon Regional Waste Management Group welcomes a new chair and vice chair to the board for 07-08. At the Annual General Meeting, the Group elected Dir. John Burgess as Chair and Dir. Kingsley Love as Vice Chair of the Board.

The Group noted the appointed Directors for 07-08 as follows:
Dir. John Burgess
Dir. Kingsley Love
Dir. Rob Binnie
Dir. Barbara Abley
Dir. Jim Tutt
Dir. Tom O'Connor
Dir. Bruce Harwood
Dir. Peter Mercer

Terms 1 and 2 of 2007 have seen record numbers of students attending the Barwon Waste Wise Education Centre. This increase in student numbers has lead to need for another sessional teacher. We are delighted to welcome Hilary Prideaux to our wonderful team of sessional teachers.

Triple Bin Challenge
On the 7th of June Ian Kiernan AO from Clean Up Australia, joined Gerard Kennedy from Alcoa, representatives from our Board and Surf Coast Shire to present Bellbrae Primary School with their award and prizes for their achievements in the Triple Bin Challenge. The school was presented with a Kyocera colour printer and a basketball clinic with the St Laurence Geelong Supercats.

Clean Up Australia Chairman Ian Kiernan AO, who presented the award, said Bellbrae Primary School had implemented educational activities such as displaying posters across the school, displaying rubbish collected on Clean Up Australia Day, promoting lunches being packaged in reusable containers and also making note pads out of single sided used paper.

Bellbrae Primary School Principal Mr Stephen McDonald said the students at the school were now very aware of the new recycling program including teachers and parents.

“We have regarded the Triple Bin Challenge as a great success in getting us up and running with the sustainable concept and we hope it will take us further to becoming a sustainable school in the future,” Mr McDonald said.

St Laurence Geelong Supercats Jamal Brown and Shawn Myers and Bellbrae Primary School Student Council show the rest of the school how fun it is to recycle.

Read more about Bellbrae's Achievements

Community Grants
The BRWMG is pleased to announce that the following groups have been successful in gaining funding through our Community Grants program:

Barwon Heads Community Arts Garden- to construct a series of compost bays and to develop a productive Permaculture garden, art co-operative and environmental demonstration site.

Participate, Karingal Inc- to complete a documentation study of Karingal’s recycling program involving a team of support staff.

Illegal Dumping Forums
Over the past five months the Victorian Litter Action Alliance and EPA have been holding a series of illegal dumping forums across regional Victoria. These forums bought together speakers from a range of organisations to present information and case studies on the skills, tools and strategies that lead to a successful illegal dumping program.

The Barwon Regional Waste Management Group supported these forums with two speaks, providing sessions on building strategic partnerships through litter prevention task forces, and successful engagement strategies.

For more information on how to tackle illegal dumping check out the VLAA website

Barwon Regional Waste Survey
The Barwon Regional Waste Survey has been completed for 2005-2006. This report enables the BRWMG to identify and quantify materials going to landfill and recyclable materials collected in the Barwon region, this is the fourth regional waste survey that the group has completed.

The survey found the following:
Total waste deposited into landfill = 339,500 tonnes
Total recyclables collected = 188,277 tonnes

Of the total volume of waste going into landfill the following items were the most significant:

• Industrial waste- 89,312 tonnes (26%)
• Clean fill- 74,946 tonnes (22%)
• Contaminated soil- 54, 030 tonnes (16%)
• Municipal waste (kerbside)- 39,568 tonnes (12%)
• Municipal waste (excluding kerbside waste)- 26,319 tonnes (7.7%)
• Mixed Rubble-14,107 tonnes (4%)

Of the total volume of recyclable materials being collected the following items were the most significant:

• Soil & Rubble- 92,525 tonnes (49%)
• Mixed Recyclables- 50,256 tonnes (27%)
• Green waste- 34,064 tonnes (18%)

Comparisons with the waste 2004-2005 survey produced showed:

• There was 14% less material deposited to landfill in 2005-2006
• There was 15% less material collected for recycling in 2005-2006
• On average there was 3% less kerbside waste produced by each rateable property in the region in 2005-2006

The following historical data shows a downward trend in the average quantity of waste produced per rateable property per year in the Barwon Region:

• 2001-2002- 664kg per rateable property
• 2002-2003- 550kg per rateable property
• 2004-2005- 345kg per rateable property
• 2005-2006- 335kg per rateable property

View Entire Report

Waste Wise Geelong Network
Upcoming Waste Wise Geelong Network functions include:

A Waste Wise Workshop on the 19th of July, 9:30-11:30am at City Hall (Little Malop St entrance)

The workshop will provide partipants with an opportunity to:

• learn more about the Waste Wise program
• learn about the benefits of Waste Wise for businesses
• learn about how to implement the Waste Wise program
• learn about Waste Service options in the region
• network with other businesses, sharing and learning from each other
• ask questions regarding Waste Waste Wise
  access online resources
• finalise Waste Wise Reduction Plans to review for presentation at the August breakfast

The next Waste Wise Geelong Network breakfast will be on the 2nd of August 2007

For more information on either of these functions please contact the Waste Wise Geelong Network Project Manager Liz Raimondo