Lismore City Council will continue discussions with the Blakebrook Community Action Group and the broader community following a meeting this week on the city’s long-term waste planning.
Mayor Steve Krieg, General Manager Eber Butron and community representatives met to discuss concerns about future waste management options for the region.
Krieg said the meeting provided an opportunity to hear directly from residents and better understand the issues the community wants addressed as Council plans for the future.
“We appreciated the opportunity to meet the community representatives in person and hear their concerns first-hand.
“The strongest message we heard was that people want greater communication, more information and confidence that all options are being properly considered before decisions are made,” Krieg said.
Community representatives raised concerns about consultation and communication, site selection, project scale, environmental impacts, traffic, amenity, property values and whether alternative waste management options should be considered.
Krieg said Council had heard the feedback and was committed to improving communication and maintaining ongoing engagement with the Action Group and the wider community.
“We understand there are strongly held views on this issue and many legitimate questions being asked by the community,” he said.
“We don’t expect everyone to agree on the solution, but we do want people to have meaningful opportunities to be heard and to trust that decisions will be made transparently and based on evidence.”
“The message was clear and simple, the community wants a stronger voice in the process and that is something council will take seriously as we continue engagement and discussions around this project.”
Council has previously held community information sessions, met with neighbouring landowners and provided briefings to the Northern Rivers Quarry Community Consultative Committee.
Further engagement activities are planned in coming months, including information and listening sessions at Lismore Library from 23 to 25 July.
Butron said Council staff were continuing investigations in line with previous Council resolutions and Council’s responsibility to plan for the eventual closure of the existing landfill, which is expected to reach capacity within seven to 10 years.
“The investigations currently underway should not be interpreted as a final decision to proceed with a landfill at Blakebrook Quarry.
“We want to be clear that no decision has been made and that investigating this future regional waste management option does not constitute approval of a landfill at Blakebrook Quarry.”
Butron said many residents wanted councillors to consider a broader range of waste management options before deciding the project’s future direction.
“We heard the community want all options on the table, including local landfill solutions, together with a clear understanding of the costs, risks and environmental implications associated with each approach,” he said.
“That feedback has been loud and clear and will be conveyed to Councillors.”
Krieg said Council had a responsibility to ensure future generations were not left with the consequences of failing to plan for critical infrastructure.
“Our current landfill will not last forever and responsible planning requires us to start considering future options now,” he said.
“However waste is managed, there are significant financial, environmental and operational implications that need to be properly understood.”
“The community have told us they want confidence that all options have been properly explored and Councillors will have the opportunity to consider that feedback as part of upcoming discussions regarding the future direction of this project and Council’s budget.”
“Councillors will ultimately need to balance community expectations, environmental outcomes and the long-term financial impact on ratepayers when making a final decision.”
Krieg said concerns about traffic, water quality, environmental impacts, noise, odour and local amenity were understood and would require detailed assessment before any proposal could move beyond the investigation stage.
“These are valid concerns and they deserve proper scrutiny,” he said.
Any future proposal would be subject to detailed environmental, engineering and planning assessments under NSW Government approval processes.
Those processes are designed to assess issues including groundwater, ecology, traffic, air quality, noise and broader community impacts, and would provide further opportunities for public input.
“Our role now is to continue listening, continue sharing information and ensure Councillors and the community have the information needed to make informed decisions about an issue that will affect our region for decades to come.”
For more information, visit lismore.nsw.gov.au/newlandfill.
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