Byron’s waste management and a lot of rubbish

This morning on my steam wireless I heard  an unfortunate Byron council functionary (occupying one of the multiple management roles not on their web page) attempting to justify council’s long-term  transport of our rubbish to Queensland.

From where I was listening I could clearly see the hand imprint of a budget-panicked GM Gainger in the middle of his back.

The hastily-compiled story claimed that the Queensland sites (on top of burning coal mines) were more environmentally acceptable than local tipping.

He added that other adjacent councils may take our waste. Oh yeah, which ones? They are mostly at it themselves.

Also that the Myocum tip (now only a transfer station) if reopened would generally degrade and produce more leachate.

True but specious in that the council quarry on the west of the site was being prepared for a new tip years ago but was abandoned because sending garbage to Queensland was cheaper.

And as for the leachate, it is currently dumped at Ocean Shores and West Byron in very questionable and secretive environmental circumstances which no one, including the current councillors, seems to want to address (or is even aware of).

This is standard for the whole sewage/rubbish crisis from the effluent reuse scandal to the defunct Mullum sewer system to the impending general STP overload, but hopefully, not this Queensland landfill transfer.

Watch this space and see if our fading-green council has the intestinal fortitude to confront the this environmental scam or will it hide behind the flimflam produced the GM’s embattled staff?

Will Simple Simon for once call the Pieman’s bluff?

Tom Tabart, Bangalow