FAQs - Waste and landfill

From the early 1990’s, it became apparent that the existing landfill at Long Swamp Road in Armidale would reach capacity early in the 21^st century. It is now 2020, and the existing landfill cells at Long Swamp Road in Armidale are nearing capacity. The decision was made by previous Councils to build a new landfill on a site 12 kms east of Armidale that would be a landfill only and not open to the public. This would leave existing waste services infrastructure for sorting, recycling and processing organics within easy access to the Armidale community. Environmental issues with the existing landfill in Guyra that requires extensive rehabilitation has meant that for many years Guyra’s waste was being taken to Tingha and is now being processed at the Long Swamp Road landfill. Along with Armidale, Guyra’s waste will now be taken to the new Landfill on Waterfall Way after it has been subjected to a sorting process at Long Swamp Road and reloaded for transport to the new landfill

Approximately 40 sites were assessed by the former Armidale Dumaresq Council and EPA.  This was then narrowed down to 12 options. The site of the new landfill on waterfall Way met the landfill siting guidelines criteria, would have the least impact on the community and has the capacity to accept waste for decades.

The Landfill Levy is being charged in your rates assessment to pay for the loan to acquire and construct the new Regional Landfill on Waterfall Way. The capital cost is over $12 million. This is proposed to be introduced to Guyra residents as charges are now being harmonised for fair and equitable charging on services for all ratepayers in the Armidale Regional Local Government Area. All landfill waste in the LGA will go the Waterfall Way facility.

There is no landfill in Guyra. The facility at Everrett   Street Guyra is a waste transfer station and cannot operate as a landfill. Unfortunately,  previous landfilling activities at  the Guyra Waste Management Facility has resulted in the site being assessed by NSW EPA as a safety and environmental risk to the area. ARC has commissioned a study of the landfill including options to stabilise and manage the site. It is anticipated this work will cost ratepayers between $2million and $4million. Council will be reporting to the community on this study in 20/21. The Guyra Landfill has not been in operation for some time, with waste being transported to Tingha by the former Guyra Shire Council. After the merger, Armidale Regional Council did continue this practice until November 2018, when Guyra’s waste was diverted to Long Swamp Road, Armidale.  

For the most part, the new landfill cannot accept waste directly to the site for burial. All waste generated in the LGA must be transported to the existing Long Swamp Road landfill where it will be subjected to a waste sorting process to maximise waste diversion, recycling and reuse principals.

The conditions imposed through the new landfill approval process effectively mean Council is duplicating some costs and paying for increased environmental, sorting and waste transport costs as per licence conditions.

Guyra rural residents are paying less than urban ratepayers are paying for waste management. Ratepayers who can access a kerbside collection service pay an additional charge for this service. Rural ratepayers who cannot access a kerbside collection do not. All ratepayers need to be charged a fair and equitable charge for the services provided. Harmonising the charge to increase to the level that Armidale rural ratepayers are paying ensures that Council can continue to provide a quality waste service, and allows Council to recover the cost to provide this service to the community.

The Rural Waste Management Charge is the contribution rural ratepayers make towards the running costs of operating the Waste Management Facilities. It is not for the kerbside collection. By law all waste must be taken to a waste facility and must not be landfilled on rural properties.

Residents that pay for and receive a kerbside waste collection service are also charged for additional waste they generate and drop off at waste management facilities. 

The provision of disposing and managing sewerage is very costly for Councils. The former Guyra Shire Council had a much smaller rate base but still had to manage sewerage efficiently but with fewer households. Because of this, they needed to charge more to be able to provide the service. The benefits of being part of a larger Council, with a much larger rate base is that costs of services can be shared. Smaller communities can then benefit from access to more funds to provide a service. This is why the charge has been harmonised down to a fair and equitable charge across the Local Government Area.