Special Electors’ Meeting 11/02/2013 6.30pm

See minutes from the Special Electors Meeting http://www.york.wa.gov.au/council/council_meetings/minutes/2013minutes/specialelectorsmeeting/

 

Special Electors’ Meeting

February 11^th 6.30pm

York Town Hall

There will be a public meeting on Monday, February 11^th at the York Town Hall at 6.30 pm. It is advertised as an ‘Electors Meeting”, but everyone is invited. The format of the meeting is still being finalised, as it depends on which invited speakers are available. There will be some experts in the field of landfill and maybe some high ranking politicians from all sides of the political spectrum. There will be ample opportunity for the public to ask questions.

The meeting will be in two halves, firstly the Special Elector’s Meeting. This part will provide the opportunity of electors to send a clear message to the York Shire Council. Motions passed at this meeting will be considered by the York Council at its next meeting. One motion being considered is as follows: “That the York Shire Council does everything in its power to avoid the establishment of a noxious industry catering for metropolitan landfill within the York Shire.” If you like to have any input in the wording, please get back to us.

The second motion being considered is as follows: That the York Shire Council puts it full support behind the “York Proposition”.

So, what is the York Proposition? This is the Plan B, we have mentioned before. Full copy of the text is attached, but the short story is this. The Coalition did realise early on that to oppose this proposed landfill in our backyard was only part of the dilemma of landfill. Because of sustained neglect on the part of successive Western Australian Governments, the question of what to do with the metropolitan waste stream is now reaching crisis point. New landfill sites of metro rubbish are being parachuted into Darling Range communities. We think that the solution lies in part with an approach as outlined in the “York Proposition”.

The York Proposition states:

‘That within the first 100 days of the opening of the new parliament, the next government of Western Australia, with cross-party support, will carry out the following actions.

A. Commission a feasibility study into the establishment of one or more waste disposal plants in the metropolitan area. This plant will process and/or recycle the total metropolitan waste stream not already treated and thus alleviate the need for any landfill sites in country areas.

B. In tandem with section A, the government will commission a study designed to identify a single landfill site to cater for all metropolitan waste that needs to go to landfill, subject to the following conditions:

1. The site should be in a low rainfall area.

2. It should be away from a population centre.

  3. It should be on land already cleared.

  4. Choice of a site must take into account local seismic activity.

   5. The site should be large enough to provide sufficient waste disposal facilities for the next three generations.

6. All organic waste should be processed and used as a soil improver.

7. Metropolitan waste should be transported to the site exclusively by rail.

(End of Proposition)

The subject of the Special Electors Meeting is “Landfill in the Wheatbelt” and debate must be restricted to that subject, for the first part of the meeting. While York Shire Councillors will be at the meeting, they are not prepared to be questioned on the “Allawuna” proposals. They need to keep their opinions to themselves until SITA puts an official proposal to them.

It would be advantageous to close the “Special Meeting” if possible at 8pm so in the second half, an hour or so could be spend on other issues. Perhaps debate about the “York Proposition” and maybe endorsement of the strategy by well known WA people, etc, we are still working at it. But what happens at the meeting will be largely up to the people attending. While the Coalition is laying the ground work, what happens on the night will be in the hands of those attending. The first half will be run by the Shire, the second half by the Coalition.

For a change of subject, the York Landfill Action Coalition does now have an incorporated home. The organisation is called “Avon Valley Residents Association Inc” (AVRA). The inaugural AGM will be held on Friday February 1^st at 7pm at the Sandalwood Yards in York. The aims of the organisation are varied and wide ranging, so it can be used for just about anything that benefits Avon Valley communities. You are most welcome to attend, especially if you can offer expertise in the running of this landfill matter. We are looking for some fresh faces on the committee.

The Coalition is preparing to publish the “York Proposition” on a website at www.wawaste.com.au We are going to need a core of keen people who can assist us in a letter writing campaign (email) to newspapers all over the state. We need a coordinated campaign to target the various media outlets. If you are interested please contact us so we can form a little group that can take charge of it (we have a few volunteers already). A lot of work has already been done by individuals, but a degree of coordination can make it more efficient. Contact: yorklandfill@gmail.com if you can help.

Plan B once on the website, calls for a state wide distribution of emails inviting people to visit our website, in order to contact their local candidates. If you are a member of an organisation that has an email data base, let us know, so we can invite the organisation to become a sponsoring partner. If you have any good ideas that can assist our campaign, please contact us.

There is a facebook conversation going at https://www.facebook.com/Stop40YearsOfPerthRubbishInYork

 Also attached is the Coalitions EPA referral document. It gives the reasons why the Coalition thinks the Allawuna proposal is a bad idea.