PROSERPINE residents gathered at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, August 2 along with Whitsunday Regional Council directors and council members for the Proserpine community catch up.
Council directors discussed various issues including WRC’s bushfire management project, Yellow Crazy Ant infestations, community services including the PEC and Whitsunday libraires, flood immunity and drainage, and recycling.
Manager of natural resource management and climate, Scott Hardy updated attendees on WRC’s bushfire management project, where landowners can organise for a council employee to attend their home and organise a Council endorsed Property Bushfire Plan, making them eligible for financial assistance towards bushfire mitigation and management work and infrastructure up to $2,000 per property.
Director of infrastructure services, Adam Hagy was inundated with questions relating to the end result of recycling.
“I’ve heard from several people recently that our recycling doesn’t actually go to the recycling plant, it actually goes to landfill,” one attendee said.
Mr Hady debunked this common claim.
“It’s quite common that I get this, that the recycling doesn’t go to the recycling facility and that it goes to landfill,” he said.
“It’s simply not true, there is a recycling materials facility in Mackay that your yellow lid bin goes to.
“It is going there, and it is being recycled.”
Mr Hagy also discussed the potential for a more local recycling facility in the future, due to the cost of transport.
“It is, at this point, at a little bit of a higher cost due to the transport,” he said.
“We’re always looking for better ways to do that and become more efficient, is it worthwhile having a facility here? What can we do to maybe work with containers for change? All of that sort of stuff.
One attendee also wished to know what percentage of recycling materials was converted into alternative products, claiming that it was impossible for all of it to be converted.
“If it’s at the rate payers’ cost, surely you must keep an eye on what happens to it?” one attendee asked.
Mr Hagy took the question on notice.
There will next be a community catch up in Bowen on August 30.
On WRC’s website there is ‘ideas post it tool’ where people can enter topics relevant to each community that they would like to be discussed at the catch-up.
People who are unable to make the event can subscribe to receive a summary of discussions following the event.
Additional information and the ideas tool can be found at yoursay.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au.
