Shoalhaven City Council Picks up Top Honours in the NSW Excellence in Environment Awards - Shoalhaven City Council - Media Release

 18 November 2021

Shoalhaven City Council has walked away as winners in two Award categories at this year’s Local Government NSW Excellence in the Environment Awards announced earlier this week.  

Council was awarded an overall winner in the Water Management category for the Reclaimed Water Management Scheme Stage 1B and overall winner in the Transition to Circular Economy category for the Glass recycling facility. 

The Excellence in the Environment Awards recognise outstanding achievements by NSW Council’s in managing and protecting the environment. 

Shoalhaven City Council Acting CEO, Paul Keech was delighted to receive the news and congratulated all involved in the two projects.  

“For Shoalhaven City Council to receive top honours in two categories in the NSW Excellence in the Environment Awards is a fantastic outcome and one that the Shoalhaven community should be proud of”, Mr Keech said.  

“Council’s investment in both the Reclaimed Water Management Scheme and the new recycling glass facility demonstrates our ongoing commitment to using innovative and cutting-edge technology that will help reduce our impact on the environment”, Mr Keech said. 

Council’s Reclaimed Water Management Scheme (REMS) 1B is one of the largest, complex water recycling schemes undertaken by a Local Water Utility. Following the success of the first stage, which was commissioned in 2002, Stage 1B works were initiated and included major upgrades to Bomaderry and Nowra wastewater treatment plants, construction of a dedicated reclaimed water transfer main beneath the Shoalhaven River, extensions to the existing REMS distribution network, as well as UV disinfection upgrades to the original works. The upgrades have resulted in more treated effluent being reclaimed for beneficial reuse, and significantly less effluent being directed to the Shoalhaven River and associated waterways. 

The construction a new glass recycling facility in West Nowra will allow Council to recover previously rejected glass fines and return it to a usable form as part of the circular economy. In January 2020, Council began laying the slab for an in-house designed glass processing plant at its recycling and waste facility in West Nowra. Commissioned in May 2021, the washed glass sand has attracted interest from multiple customers, with nearly 1,000 tonnes returned to the circular economy every month. 

For more information about Excellence in the Environment Awards visit the Local Government NSW website.

 council staff at the REMS site

Accolades for Council’s Environmental Health Team - Shoalhaven City Council - Media Release

 

9 December 2020

Shoalhaven City Council’s Environmental Health Team have been recognised at the Environmental Health Australia (NSW) Inc. Excellence Awards for outstanding work in their field.

As part of the accolades, Council’s Environmental Health Team has been named Environmental Health Team of the Year.

Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley is delighted with the announcement of the award.

“This is outstanding and a very much deserved recognition of the extraordinary work the Environmental Health team have done in response to the challenges the Shoalhaven has experienced this year.

“The team are responsible for a broad range of activities to make sure the air we breathe, the water we swim in and our natural environment stays healthy,” she said.

“I applaud all that the team have done to keep our community safe following the bushfires, floods, wind damage and during COVID. These natural disasters and the pandemic have impacted all of us. This team has been at the frontline day and night throughout all off these events,” said Clr Findley.  

During last summer’s bushfires Council’s Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) helped with key emergency management tasks; like water quality assessments around sewer pump stations as well as getting generators through road blocks to help food businesses to manage power outages and prevent food spoilage.

Following the fires, Council’s EHOs were ‘first responders’ attending people’s properties to check on their health and safety alongside Rural Fire Service (RFS) and Police officers. As integral members of the Hybrid Building Impact Assessment Teams (BIA), EHOs helped complete over 5,000 building impact assessments in about six weeks. This was the first time Council EHOs had worked alongside RFS and Police officers as members of a hybrid BIA team. This approach was so successful in the Shoalhaven it was adopted by Eurobodalla and Bega Council areas.

EHOs were also involved in activities like preventing sediment and ash movement into waterways, aerial food drops and installing wildlife feed stations and night cameras as well as monitoring air, land and water quality. The Environment Recovery Action Team were also involved in sourcing funding for bushfire affected waterways, fire trail maintenance and asset protection works as well as processing waste from 295 homes with an impressive 93% recycle rate.

During the floods in February the team assisted with flood preparedness and water quality monitoring and after the floods evaluated caravan parks’ Flood Emergency Management Plans.

In April 2020 once food businesses could re-open, Shoalhaven City Council EHO’s were again at the forefront providing advice and education to food businesses.

The team has also created the Shoalhaven Builders Guide to provide effective and realistic advice on good building site practices to minimise impacts on waterways and the wider environment.

For information about Council’s Environmental Health activities to ensure a healthy, safe and attractive natural, built and social environment in the Shoalhaven. (link https://www.shoalhaven.nsw.gov.au/Contact-Us/Environmental-Health-Team)

Image: From left Shane Pickering, Mark Sneesby, Kelie Clarke and Thelma Marr, four members of Council's Environmental Health Team who were involved in the building impact assessments after the fires.

Shoalhaven City Council Clean Up at State Awards in Environmental Excellence -- Shoalhaven City Council - Media Release

 

22 October 2020

Shoalhaven City Council was the overall winner in the Towards Zero Net Emissions and Bushfire Recovery categories at the Local Government NSW 2020 Excellence in Environment Awards.  

The State Awards, held on Tuesday 13 October via an online ceremony, highlighted outstanding environmental initiatives introduced by Local Governments in the past year.  

Shoalhaven City Council Mayor Amanda Findley applauded Council staff for their commitment to introducing sustainable projects to protect the environment across the region.  

“I commend Council staff for their hard work and dedication to environmental excellence”, Clr Findley said.   

“For Shoalhaven City Council to win in both categories that it was nominated as a finalist in is a remarkable achievement and reflects on the outstanding initiatives introduced in the past year”, Clr Findley stated.  

“These two projects demonstrate that even by taking small steps a local Council can make a big difference to the environment for generations to come”, Clr Findley said.  

Council won in the Towards Net Zero Emissions Category for its adoption of a series of sustainable energy projects aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.  

Some of these projects included trialing three fully electric vehicles in its fleet, installation of over 400 kW of solar panels across 10 sites, commencing a revolving energy fund, replacing 4,200 street lights with energy saving LEDs and supporting Repower Shoalhaven’s community energy solar farm.  

Council also won in the Resource Recovery category for its adoption of a temporary bushfire demolition waste recovery facility aimed at preserving capacity of its only putrescible waste landfill.  

Following the destruction of homes and properties in the bushfires of the 2019/2020 summer, any demolition waste that was unaffected by asbestos contamination was able to be recycled.   

In the three months of operation, the facility processed nearly 18,000 tonnes of demolition waste from 313 homes, recovering a staggering 96% of the material for reuse. 

The Shoalhaven City Council waste team are presented with the award from Mayor Amanda Findley and CEO Stephen Dunshea 

For more information about the Awards visit the Local Government NSW’s website.

Council Recongised For Its Environmental Excellence In State Awards - Shoalhaven City Council - Media Release

 

28 September 2020

Shoalhaven City Council has been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2020 Local Government NSW’s Excellence in the Environment Awards in both the Towards Net Zero Emissions and Resource Recovery categories. 

In the Towards Net Zero Emissions category, Council is recognised for its actions and commitments in the past year to increase renewable energy generation on its assets, prepare its inaugural Sustainable Energy Strategy and begin an internal Revolving Energy Fund (REFund).   

Over 400 kW of new solar PV were installed in the past year on assets such as the Nowra Library, Shoalhaven Indoor Sports Centre and wastewater treatment plants.  

Energy efficient LED lighting was also installed at the Nowra Library using seed funding to kick start the new REFund. The cost savings made from the project are reinvested back into the REFund to pay for new energy efficiency projects.  

Across the Shoalhaven region, over 4,000 residential streetlights are also being replaced with energy efficient LED lights, a project co-funded between Council and the NSW Government. These sustainable energy projects work towards achieving Council’s adopted target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

Shoalhaven Council’s waste recovery facility set up for the recent bushfire demolition was the other shortlisted project for these prestigious annual environmental awards.  

Following the devasting destruction of the bushfires in the Shoalhaven region, Council opted to set up a temporary bushfire demolition waste processing facility to preserve the capacity of its only perishable waste landfill.  

Any demolition waste that was unaffected by asbestos contamination was able to be recycled. The State Government contractor, Laing O’Rourke, transported the material to the temporary processing facility in West Nowra.  

In the three months of operation the facility processed almost 18,000 tonnes of demolition waste from 313 homes, recovering a staggering 96% of the material for reuse. 

Shoalhaven City Council Mayor, Amanda Findley, commended Council staff for their commitment to achieving outstanding environmental and community outcomes. 

“I would like to congratulate the dedicated staff for their significant work to improve the resilience and sustainability of the Shoalhaven community into the future,” said Clr Findley. 

“It’s been a hugely challenging year for the Shoalhaven, so it makes me very proud that Council has been able to adapt and achieve excellence when it matters the most,” added Clr Findley. 

The Awards ceremony will be held via an online event on Tuesday, 13 October 2020.  

For more information about the Awards visit the 

Local Government NSW association’s website.

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