Upper Spencer Gulf waste and resource recovery strategy 2020 to 2025
Prepared by Rawtec for Whyalla City Council, Port Augusta City Council and Port Pirie Regional Council. Written by Jarvis Webb, Michaela Tamlin and Mark Rawson. Final version approved 19 September 2019.
Summary published
Whyalla, Port Augusta and Port Pirie have about 55,000 people between them and three separate waste services. Each was diverting between a third and a half of its kerbside material from landfill, and each was paying a levy that had risen from $26 a tonne to $70 in five years.
The three councils asked Rawtec for a shared direction, and for a view on whether investing in local infrastructure made sense.
The region already has more to work with than most: a composting facility at Whyalla, a lead smelter at Port Pirie that can process e-waste, steelworks handling scrap metal, and a modern resource recovery centre.
Shared kerbside diversion target for 2025
SA non-metropolitan waste levy, 2014/15 to 2019/20
Where the three councils were starting from
Properties on kerbside services across the three
Where the three councils stood
The starting points were uneven
Port Augusta was diverting 36% of kerbside material from landfill, Whyalla 41% and Port Pirie 46%. The strategy sets a common target of 52% by 2025 for all three.
What each council handles
Port Augusta: 14,500 people, 3,900 tonnes a year of general waste, 1,020 of recycling, 1,200 of organics. Port Pirie: 18,100 people, 3,550 tonnes general waste, 1,300 recycling, 1,780 organics. Whyalla: 22,800 people, 4,556 tonnes general waste, 1,466 recycling, 1,651 organics.
The levy is what changes the maths
South Australia’s non-metropolitan waste levy went from $26 a tonne in 2014/15 to $43.50 in 2018/19 and $70 in 2019/20. Material that was cheaper to bury than to sort stops being cheaper to bury.
Existing industry is the regional advantage
Peats composting facility at Whyalla, the Port Pirie lead smelter with e-waste processing capability, Whyalla steelworks taking scrap metal, and a modern resource recovery centre at Port Pirie. The strategy treats the region’s renewable energy, mining and manufacturing transformation as the opening for circular economy work rather than a separate agenda.
The three objectives
Joint bin audits so the three councils are measuring the same way, changes to collection frequency, waste requirements written into development planning, education campaigns, and grant applications.
Industry forums, a feasibility study for a materials recovery facility, green procurement, investigation of alternative fuels including process engineered fuel and tyre-derived fuel, and promoting the facilities the region already has.
Collaborative procurement across the three councils, sharing staff resources, and educating councillors so decisions hold across election cycles.
Related reports
Other regional strategy and background work.
The full strategy includes the action tables, timing and responsibility for each item.
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