August 25, 2021

Following Gunnedah Shire Council’s closure of waste management facilities for residential services on Monday, the NSW Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has issued updated advice for regional NSW residents without a council kerbside waste collection or access to a Mobile Collection Service.

For these people, leaving home to take waste to landfill is now considered a reasonable excuse.

Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Cr Jamie Chaffey said he was pleased the NSW EPA had listened to concerns of rural residents and acted quickly to rectify the situation.

“The evolving COVID-19 situation has meant decisions often have to be made quickly and these might not always reflect the reality of the situation on the ground,” Cr Chaffey said.

“Common sense has prevailed and I am glad these essential waste services will continue for those residents without a kerbside collection.

“Waste management facilities across the Shire are now accessible for essential waste services for residents who do not have a Council collection and essential commercial and trade services. All visitors are required to check in with a QR code and must wear a mask at all times.

“I remind the community that this service should only be used if it is indeed essential. If you are unsure, please contact NSW Health or Police for clarification.”

The NSW EPA provides the following advice for community members wishing to attend waste transfer stations, mobile collection services, depots and landfill:

In regional NSW can the community attend their waste transfer station, depot or landfill themselves?

Yes. For people living in regional NSW who don’t have a council waste collection and take their own household waste to landfill, we have advocated on behalf of the regional community and sought clarification from NSW Health. For regional NSW, taking waste to a landfill is a “reasonable excuse” for a person to leave their home. See advice from NSW Health below.

• Under the Public Health (COVID-19 Additional Restrictions for Delta Outbreak) Order (No 2) 2021, everyone in NSW must currently stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse.  For regional NSW, a reasonable excuse includes obtaining goods and services for the needs of the household, or for other household purposes.  Taking waste to a landfill is a “reasonable excuse” for a person to leave their home.
• Goods and services must be obtained locally unless the services are not reasonably available locally. NSW Health notes that “locally” means within the local government area in which the person resides or, if in another local government area, no further than 5 kilometres from the person’s home and not in an area of concern.  However, if in regional NSW the nearest landfill is not in the LGA and is more than 5 kilometres away, residents in regional NSW are permitted under the current Public Health Order to take their waste to a landfill even if the landfill is located further than 5 kilometres from their home.

We will continue to update this information as the COVID restrictions are changed.

To view the full NSW EPA guidelines, visit https://bit.ly/3j8iQ81. For further information phone Council’s Waste Management Team on (02) 6740 2100.

ENDS

Media and communications team contact: (02) 6740 2100.