MoU has a focus on waste management

An agreement between Noosa and Gympie Councils aims to help find efficiencies in waste management and potential cost-sharing arrangements across the two councils.

Mayor Clare Stewart and her Gympie counterpart Glen Hartwig signed the deal last week.

Cr Stewart said waste management is a costly exercise for all councils.

“It makes economic sense to avoid duplication where we can and look to find better environmental outcomes and efficiencies,” she said.

“I am a staunch supporter of collaborating with our neighbouring councils to share knowledge, and share resources to find benefits for our ratepayers,” she said.

“This can potentially enhance resource recovery industry across the two councils and maximize environmental, social and economic benefits.

Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig said the MoU is a tangible step in being more effective in the service delivery of waste management.

“There are massive synergies in waste for all councils and working together can help Gympie achieve better environmental outcomes and investigate ways to deal with different aspects of waste in a collaborative way,” he said.

The MoU focuses on the key areas of infrastructure, procurement, knowledge sharing, and potential cost-sharing arrangements in future contracts.

Noosa CEO Larry Sengstock said it’s about creating a dialogue between the two councils.

“This doesn’t tie either councils to any firm investments, but rather solidifies an already strong relationship we have with Gympie council staff and their elected representatives,” he said.

Noosa Council is a member of Council of Mayors South East Queensland (CoMSEQ) who have launched a Waste Management Plan to tackle the war on waste.

Cr Stewart said CoMSEQ’s plan laid out a series of opportunities for SEQ Councils to work together to reduce waste gong to landfill.

“Seventy per cent of Queensland’s waste is processed through southeast Queensland, so we all have a shared ambition to find ways to improve recycling and identify resource-recovery opportunities,” Cr Stewart said.

Representatives from both councils will meet regularly to discuss infrastructure projects and identify ways to turn waste into a resource and divert it away from landfill.