Greener future for Dorset tips
Sites of burning green waste at tips across Dorset will soon be a thing of the past with a change to EPA requirements.
April 10, 2024
Smoky piles of burning green waste will soon be a thing of the past at Dorset tip sites, as the practice comes to an end later this year.
Fires will no longer be allowed, with the Environmental Protection Authority putting a stop to permits.
Dorset Council General Manager John Marik said the practice was being phased out, with the last burning planned for September if required, with a complete stop by October, 2024.
Historically, burning of green waste has taken place monthly when between 400-600m3 are stock piled, with no burning across the months of January to March unless conditions were favourable, Mr Marik said.
Burns could only occur with the support of Tasmanian Fire Service Permits and it had to be registered with EPA permits are also in place.
Mr Marik said that Scottsdale burns were currently undertaken under Council employee supervision, while Branxholm and Gladstone burns were undertaken in conjunction with TasFire due to the surrounding bush land and locality to built-up population.
Approximately 6,000-8,000m3 is being burned annually at Scottsdale, while the figure is 2,500-3,000 at Branxholm and 1,000m3 at Gladstone, Mr Marik said.
Council is changing its practices to deal with an EPA decision to no longer supply councils across the state with permits to burn.
“The green waste will be stock piled 3000m3 – 4000m3 and processed in a large shredding machine twice a year on site normally in October/November and June/July,” Mr Marik said.
“The chosen dates are so the mulched product can heat up to kill weed seed, but not get hot enough to create self-combustion.”
Mr Marik said council was investigating long-term sustainable uses for the shredded waste, such as a mulch product, with use of the product planned for Council’s Waste Transfer Stations and municipal beautification programs.
Dorset Coastal Working Group Convener Lou Brooker congratulated council on implementing the change.
“As I drove into the Scottsdale tip the other day, a massive blanket of smoke was coming from the huge pile of green waste collected over Easter, pouring kilograms of CO2 into the air but worse, making the place unsafe for everyone,” Ms Brooker said.
“I felt sorry for the people who had to work there. They do such an amazing job attending to us as we drop off our waste.
“But, my grief turned to joy when I was told that change is afoot, and I drove away feeling positive.”