Waste matters: Blue Mountains Mayor Daniel Myles (left) and deputy mayor Mark Greenhill at Blaxland last week. Talks have begun about funding for a Green Bins service for Blue Mountains residents.
Blue Mountains Mayor Daniel Myles and deputy mayor Mark Greenhill have announced the council is confident it has found the solution to the strong smell that has been coming from the Blaxland tip.
“Our own staff have joined with external experts and we think we have found the source,” said Clr Myles.
The deputy mayor said “analysis was undertaken and it seems that while excavating the site to build a new cell the company undertaking the work may have opened part of an old cell”.
“This accidentally allowed gases to escape and produce the odour that has been severely impacting the lives of people in Warrimoo and Blaxland,” he said.
“Work has commenced to close the cell and this will hopefully see the smell disappear.”
But Clr Greenhill warned he would “continue to keep pushing the matter until it is resolved” if the smell continued.
Clr Myles said staff were also looking at “other strategies like capturing greenhouse gases and reducing the amount of carbon emitted by using strategies like flaring”.
“Flaring actually reduces the amount of carbon emitted and can limit odour,” he said.
The mayor revealed he has held preliminary discussions with State Government sources about seeking funding to introduce Green Bins for every household in the Blue Mountains.
“State Government funds will mean that we could look to introduce these without raising local charges and thus adding to people’s cost of living. These talks are ongoing,” he said.
This move won the backing of the Labor deputy mayor.
“We need to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill. Blaxland is fast becoming a super tip and this is not what residents expected. Green Bins in every household is a way of reducing landfill. We have tip sites at Lawson and Katoomba as well as Blaxland. I would like to see us use one of these locations to take the green waste to and mulch it,” he said.
Clr Myles said the mulch could be sold for gardens, creating an income stream for the council.
“This is innovative, good for the environment and great for reducing landfill,” he said.
Clr Greenhill said the community still needed to have a debate about the future of the Blaxland tip.
“Residents must not have to suffer impacts to their lifestyle the way they have,” he said.