Blue Mountains council tackles tip reform

Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor Mark Greenhill and his Ward 4 colleague Clr Anton von Schulenburg have delivered on a key election promise to start reforming waste services. 

Both Ward 4 councillors promised to tackle issues including the stench from Blaxland tip, the introduction of Green bins and an on-call collection service during their election campaign. 

At last Tuesday’s council meeting councillors voted for a comprehensive, root and branch review of waste services in the Mountains.

“As local representatives we know how much the stench emanating from what has become a super tip [at Blaxland] affects those who live near it. The report we have initiated will address possible options to alternatives to local land fill,” said Clr Greenhill.

“We would like to see the tip closed to land fill sooner rather than later. It could become a waste transfer station so that people would still be able to take their garbage there as usual but the landfill would be taken away and placed in a state-of-the-art facility.”

Ward 2 Liberal Clr Chris Van der Kley said waste management was “going to be one of the big issues this council will to tackle”.

“This really needs to be looked into — in the shorter and longer term, what we’re going to do with our waste. We have to look at an alternative to landfill. We only have 18 years left in our landfill [at Blaxland tip].”

Clr von Schulenburg agreed the issue was an “important area of reform” for the council.

“Mark and I are determined to fight hard for real change. We need the backing of the other councillors and we were thrilled to have their unanimous support . . . We are also aware that Blue Mountains Mayor Daniel Myles has been talking to key figures in the State Government about possible funding for Green bins.”

Ward 3 Clr Brendan Luchetti said getting the issue right would come with a high price tag.

“The money we have spent is already significant and the money that will need to be spent will be too,” he said.