A subdivision of the Whylandra Waste depot has been approved by Dubbo Regional Council. The subdivision is for the possible Dubbo Regional Organics Processing Plant, which would be constructed if council decided to introduce the third bin. However in a report to council, manager commercial facilities Simon Tratt said the subdivision did not mean the food and organic waste bin had been approved. “No decision has been made by council to implement these services at this time, but merely to invite tenders. Once tenders have been received and evaluated a further report will be submitted to council prior to any decision to introduce these services,” he said. In July council determined to call tenders for the construction and operation of the proposed organics waste processing plant. Tenders also included the possibility of a regional food and garden organics kerbside collection service for the Narromine Shire Council and Mid-Western Regional Council areas. “On the basis there is a winning tender, the winning tenderer will be required to enter into a long term lease (greater than five years) with council to occupy a specified parcel of land at Whylandra Waste Depot, having an area of 4.224 hectares,” Mr Tratt said. “Because the lease will affect part of a lot or lots in a current plan it is necessary to create a plan of subdivision to define the land in the lease and the residue of any lot in a current plan affected by the leased area.” If a third bin is introduced it is expected to begin in March 2018. The three bin system was trialled across ten weeks earlier in the year with 352 households. A post-trial survey found 76 per cent supported, or at least did not oppose, the introduction of an organics collection service, increased from a survey in March 2015, where 63 per cent of residents had the same response. Council has received $4 million in grants from the NSW government towards the organics project, which includes a $3.26 million grant towards the processing plant. The plant is expected to cost about $7 million to construct.
