Water Talk 30

BASALT COURT DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR

Ballina Shire Council has started essential maintenance to the Basalt Court drinking water reservoir. These works include roof repairs and the installation of new external access stairs.

Council’s contractor, Advance Concrete Engineering, will be completing these construction works between 7am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

There may be some minor construction noise during these hours. Nearby properties should not experience any drinking water outages during these works but may experience a slight decrease to their water pressure from 13 September. This will be temporary and should not impact on daily household water requirements. Council anticipates these works to be completed by Friday 8 October 2021, weather permitting. Council apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks residents for their patience during this essential infrastructure upgrade.

For more information visit ballinawater.com.au or call our Water and Wastewater Team on 1300 864 444.

Water and Wastewater Projects

COMPLETED PROJECTS

Lennox Head Wastewater Treatment Plant Ocean Outfall Switchboard and Pumps Replacement

CURRENT PROJECTS:

Access Upgrade at Basalt Court Drinking Water Reservoir Membrane Replacement at Lennox Head Wastewater Treatment Plant

Bangalow Rd Roundabout Water Main Realignment

FUTURE PROJECTS

Upgrade to Marom Creek Water Treatment Plant

Alstonville Wastewater Treatment Plant Inlet Works Upgrade West Ballina Recycled Water Main Ballina Wastewater Treatment Plant Rectification Works and Gantry Crane Installation

what's that noise?

Is there a loud banging noise coming from your pipes when you turn your tap on? This is called a water hammer. There could be air in your pipes or corrosion. If it continues contact a licensed plumber.

WASTE WATCH

L-R: Serge Theakston, Neil Spencer, Richard Smith, Kendell Brazendale and Ezio Polese. Absent: Jeff Nicholson, Michael Wort

Did you know?

There are 6 main bin collection routes across the shire, although an additional 3 half runs have been added recently due to the population and service growth.

We have a fleet of 6 waste trucks with a team of 6 full time and 5 fill-in drivers.

One truck empties up to 1,200 bins per day. Together they collect up to 4,000 bins a day or over

1 million bins per year!

ON THE FRONTLINE:

Meet the waste truck drivers who keep our shire clean and tidy

Remember when garbage trucks would have a driver and two ‘runners’ following behind, collecting bins and hooking them up to be emptied?

Thankfully our waste trucks are much more sophisticated these days, but some of our drivers have been in the job for more than 20 years so they REALLY appreciate the creature comforts of the modern trucks.

Jeff Nicholson has been a waste truck driver with Council for 29 years. He reckons “you used to go through 10 pairs of shoes a year” as a runner for the rear loader trucks – and don’t get him started on the wet weather! No more do waste collectors have to deal with dogs chasing them as they cling on to the back of a garbage truck. Instead, the current side loader trucks have just one driver, they are air conditioned (a real blessing!) and fitted with GPS and surveillance cameras.

Cameras inside the truck where bin contents are emptied and outside facing the kerb allow drivers to clearly see everything and to identify contamination. “For example, if there are a heap of plastic bags in a recycling bin we can record that footage and send a letter to the property owner,” explains Lloyd Isaacson, Manager Resource Recovery. While the trucks are snazzier than they’ve ever been, there’s still plenty of challenges for our drivers to contend with.

Cul-de-sacs and vehicles parked along the kerb and blocking access to bins are the most frustrating obstacles. There are plenty of narrow or difficult spots to manoeuver around, which is why all of the drivers agree that the rural bin collection route is by far the most enjoyable! The drivers start their shifts at 4.30am or 5am, depending on the route they are assigned to. The team has a roster that rotates every 4-6 months. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays they start the day by emptying park bins, before moving on to household collections.

Keeping to schedule is another challenge for drivers, with each truck emptying up to 1,200 bins per day. Then there’s the shire’s growing population, with one or two new properties being added to the collection routes every day. The drivers return to the waste management centre at around 12pm and finish off their busy days with an hour of truck maintenance to make sure they’re ready to roll bright and early the next morning.

If you would like a career in this area please contact our People and Culture team on 1300 864 444.

WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTRE

Southern Cross Drive, Ballina ph 02 6686 1287 OPEN 8AM-4PM 7 DAYS A WEEK (excluding public holidays)

CHANGES TO BIN COLLECTIONS DAYS

Cumbalum and some rural services

Ballina Shire Council will be introducing changes to bin collection days in a number of urban and rural areas from early October 2021.

These changes are necessary to balance the allocation of waste trucks across the shire and to keep up with the increasing demand for waste collection services.

Not all properties within the suburbs listed below will be affected by the changes. Impacted properties will receive a letter in the mail to advise them of the changes. Service area maps will also be available on Council’s website at ballina.nsw.gov.au/bin-collection-days so that residents can check whether their property will be impacted. The following changes will come into effect from October 2021:

CUMBALUM

Urban 3-bin collection services will change from Tuesdays to Mondays, starting on Monday 4 October 2021.

ALSTONVILLE, BROOKLET, FERNLEIGH, PEARCES CREEK, TEVEN, AND TUCKOMBIL

The week that fortnightly recycle bins are collected for rural residential and rural commercial properties will change to the alternate Thursday, starting on Thursday 7 October 2021. Recycle bins within the service area will be collected on Thursday 30 September, on Thursday 7 October, and fortnightly thereafter to facilitate the changeover.

ALSTONVALE, TEAKWOOD DRIVE AND BLACKMORES

ROAD IN ALSTONVILLE; DALWOOD, ROUS, ROUS MILL,

LYNWOOD, URALBA, AND WOLLONGBAR

The week that fortnightly recycle bins are collected for rural residential and rural commercial properties will change to the alternate Friday, starting on Friday 8 October. Recycle bins within the service area will be collected on Friday 1 October, on Friday 8

October, and fortnightly thereafter to facilitate the changeover. Council apologises for any inconvenience caused and thanks the community for their patience as these changes are implemented.

Residents should refer to Council’s website at ballina.nsw.gov.au/ bin-collection-days for more information or call 1800 864 444 for enquiries that are not addressed by the information online.

Ballina’s Salvage Shed is a well organised tip shop that saves tonnes of reusable items from landfill, providing sustainable options for everyday materials and reducing the environmental impact of buying new.

Operated by Momentum Collective in partnership with council, the store is located to the Waste Management Centre at 167 Southern Cross Drive.

Open 9.30am – 3.30pm daily (excluding public holidays). Contact directly on 0429 934 557

Do yourself a favour... Drop in to discover what its all about!

WASTE WATCH

Community Recycling Centre Turns 5!

Thank you for helping to keep problem wastes out of landfill

Are you one of the many households in Ballina Shire who is helping to keep problem waste out of landfill and bushland?

The number of residents using the free drop-off service at the Community Recycling Centre (CRC) - located at the Waste Management Centre - has continued to increase every year since it opened in 2016. In the 2020-2021 financial year, Ballina’s CRC collected 35.5 tonnes of problem waste materials, 45% of which was waterbased paint! Council would like to say thank you to the community for all of your good work.

What can I drop off for FREE at the

CRC? (When public health restrictions ease)

Gas bottles and fire extinguishers Paint Fluoro globes and tubes Car batteries

Household batteries Motor oils Other oils

Smoke detectors

• Gas Bottles and fire extinguishers

• Paint (small volumes in many paints tins can be poured into the same tin, ensuring oil-based and water-based paints remain separated) • Fluoro globes and tubes • Household and car batteries

• Motor oils and other oils • Smoke detectors

What’s the problem with problem wastes?

The wastes accepted at the CRC are potentially hazardous and can cause harm to waste management workers and pollute our environment if not disposed of correctly. For example, batteries can cause fires in trucks and waste piles.

Are they recycled?

Items dropped off at the CRC are recycled wherever possible. For example, the lead, acid and plastic in lead acid batteries are recovered and recycled. The glass, ceramic, plastic and mercury used to make fluorescent lights are also recycled. Graphic options: 1. Use anything relevant at https:// epa.metrographics.com.au/old/ crc/ • User Name: NorthEastWaste • Password: NorthEastWasteCRC 2. Use graph info below (our CRC data from 20/21 financial year)

I only have a handful of batteries. Is there somewhere else I can drop these off?

Our Community Recycling Stations are cabinets designed to accept small amounts of problem wastes. They are located across the shire at Council’s Customer Service Centre, Alstonville Cultural Centre, Ballina Library, Ballina Bunnings and Lennox Head Community Centre. If COVID restrictions still apply, simply reuse containers such as glass jars or yoghurt tubs to store your problem waste items until restrictions ease.

For more information visit ballina.nsw.gov.au/communityrecycling-centre-crc