Over the last year, Living Lamma has been campaigning to stop dumping on Lamma Island and investigate ways in which the island can be kept clean in a sustainable manner.
We would like to highlight two major problems at today’s meeting:
- Dumping of construction and other waste on land zoned for agricultural use and in residential areas.
- Inadequate facilities to manage the waste generated by the community.
- Lack of government leadership and co-‐ordination.
Please remember that Living Lamma is a group run entirely by volunteers, all of whom have full-‐time jobs elsewhere. In the last year, we have been passed from one department to another and back again, with little real action been taken on the part of government. We hope that as a result of today’s meeting, the EPD will take the lead in coordinating efforts between departments to resolve the issues that we raise.
1. Dumping
Since the EPD introduced charging for the disposal of construction waste, there have been more and more incidences of dumping of this waste.
The EPD tells us this “does not constitute a nuisance.” IT DOES. The EPD calls this “storage of C&D materials.” IT IS NOT.
Some suggestions:
Nuisance should include visual impact
If it is “storage” then it should be stored in an appropriate manner
Depositing of hardcore for the purpose of building a village house should be allowed if the owner has planning permission to build and that the building is to go ahead within a reasonable timeframe.
The EPD should provide proper storage facilities for construction waste so that it can be reused within the community.
Like other groups, we are concerned that the EPD’s proposed amendments to the WDO will provide a government-‐sanctioned green light to further dumping.
We urge you to act to prevent dumping, not be a party to it.
- 2. Waste Management
- Here are some examples of what currently happens to our waste on Lamma:
| TYPE OF WASTE | WHERE IT ENDS UP | FINAL RESULT |
| Food Waste | Waste Transfer Station | LANDFILL |
| Garden Waste | Waste Transfer Station
Left on the side of the path |
LANDFILL
EYESORE – Pieces left are too large to compost |
| Unwanted Electrical Items | If placed at the bins – they go to the WTS
Others stockpiled on the harbour front Placed on private land |
LANDFILL
EYESORE until they are removed EYESORE |
| Construction waste | Waste Transfer Station for the big pieces
Placed on private land |
LANDFILL
EYESORE |
| Old furniture | Placed at the bins: Picked up and reused Picked up and dumped
Taken to the WTS |
REUSED until next time EYESORE
LANDFILL |
| Old clothes and shoes | Recycled quite well within the community, placed in FoE bin | REUSED
Often overflowing, items get wet/moldy |
| Recyclable materials | Put in recycling bins | Picked up by a private contractor |
| Glass bottles and jars | Waste transfer station | LANDFILL |
| Batteries | Waste transfer station | LANDFILL |
| Out of date medicines | Waste transfer station | LANDFILL |
| Prohibited items (such as chemical cans, etc) | Waste transfer station
Dumped with other construction waste on private land |
LANDFILL
EYESORE, contaminant |
| Oil drums | Stockpiled outside restaurants | EYESORE |
| Polystyrene cartons | Stockpiled outside restaurants | EYESORE |
| Septic tank waste | Under investigation, though we know of cases where this has been dumped | Environmental hazard |
| Cooking oil | Under investigation | Environmental hazard? |
| Heavy/bulky items | Taken to waste transfer station
Placed on private land |
LANDFILL EYESORE |
- How this waste could be disposed of, some examples and constraints.
- The problems with our refuse collection points. (Pictures)
- The Waste Transfer Station. (Flowchart)
- Lack of government leadership and co-ordination
- What is rubbish?
- Where is it found?
- Unfortunately, the problem does not behave like that (show examples from book)