Waste Management

Mid-Western Regional Council operates kerbside domestic waste collection services within the towns of Mudgee, Gulgong, Kandos and Rylstone and the villages of Charbon and Clandulla, and kerbside recycling services at Mudgee and Gulgong. Domestic waste collected is transported to waste facilities at Mudgee or Kandos for landfilling. Recyclable waste collected is transported to the Mudgee Waste Facility for sorting and processing. The rural area and remaining villages are serviced with access to Waste Transfer Stations.

The existing landfill cell at the Mudgee Waste Depot will reach capacity within 2-3 years. Council has engaged a specialist consultant to prepare a Landfill Environmental Management Plan, incorporating a staged landfilling plan and staged landfill closure plan for operation of the facility for the next 50-60 years. Detailed costings of various landfill stages will enable a comprehensive financial plan to be developed.

Council is currently finalising the conversion of the Kandos waste facility to a waste transfer station. Landfilling of domestic waste ceased in January 2009. However, (inert) Building and demolition waste will continue to be landfilled at Kandos for some time.

In addition to the above waste processing facilities (landfilling and recycling), Council operates three urban (Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos), and thirteen village and rural waste transfer stations. Accumulated domestic waste and recycling materials are transported to the Mudgee Waste Facility for landfilling or sorting and processing.

The Council’s aim and focus is to:

  • Minimise the amount of waste that goes to landfill.
  • Encourage the maximisation of community involvement into recycling by providing accessible recycling services and facilities.
  • Maintain the transfer stations around the Region for the community to maximise opportunity for recycling.

Council oversees Mudgee Recycling as part of its overall waste management operations.  Council places a lot of emphasis on recycling and ensuring that the amount of material entering landfill is kept to a minimum.   An important aspect of the recycling operation is the continued meaningful employment of members of the region’s disabled community.

 These are the major works planned for this year:

  • Kandos Waste Transfer Stations – It is proposed to complete the conversion of this tip site to a Waste Transfer Station including ongoing rehabilitation works.
  • Rehabilitation of previously decommissioned land fills in the rural area.
  • Development of a closure plan for the Kandos Landfill site.
  • Purchase of additional recycling bins to service Mudgee and associated plant.

And in future years:

  • Due to improved utilisation of the existing waste cell at the Mudgee facility, the construction of a new cell to store waste has able to be deferred until 2010/11.
  • Remediation of the previous open landfill facility at Kandos.
  • Ongoing renewal / upgrades at each Waste Transfer Station.
  • Continuation of rehabilitation of previously decommissioned land fills in the rural area.