Harvey waste facility could see major changes over the next two years

Harvey’s only waste facility is expected to undergo a “full-blown” redevelopment over the next two years, with Shire of Harvey councillors last week investigating moving the site further south. Harvey’s only waste facility — based along Richardson Road — is set for a major redevelopment over the next two financial years after councillors unanimously voted in favour of the decision at Tuesday’s ordinary council meeting. With a budgeted cost of $200,000 the upgrades and relocation of the facility will see it transition into a transfer station, a move set to help reduce landfill waste through recycling processes. Built in the 1980s the waste facility underwent management changes in October last year with the Shire taking over the day-to-day running of the landfill site which has led to changes in its operating hours. The new direction, however, could spark changes to the facility’s opening times and fears around an increase in illegal dumping were aired during an agenda briefing session earlier in March. According to Shire of Harvey documents, staff have already begun to make changes to the site through improved traffic flow, signage and financial management with director of infrastructure services Rick Lotznicker highlighting potential new opening schemes. “We haven’t determined the exact nature of how the transfer station will work but we are looking at examples and have found a good one in the east coast that might work for us,” he said. “We are monitoring the hours because we’re finding, mid-week, that it’s very, very quiet.” While the site will remain on Richardson Road the movement of the facilities further south will mean a lower construction cost, less disruption to the public and no landfill capping or need for landfill gas management. Mr Lotznicker said the new location would give the Shire an unencumbered site to develop the transfer station. “In terms of the timeline, the alternative location has some very big advantages in terms of it being away from where the previous landfill was,” he said. Further reports and updates on the progression of the redevelopment and movement of the Richardson Road facility are expected to come to light at a later date, according to Shire documents.