Agreement between Nambucca Valley Council and Forestry Corp NSW over the compulsory acquisition of 23 hectares of forest by the council brings to a close negotiations that have spanned close to two decades.
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The land is for the future extension of the Nambucca Heads Waste Management Facility and the agreement has been hailed by the mayor as "a truly significant step forward".
"We will have to pay them some compensation for the loss of their land but that is much better than us trying to find alternative land for land fill, which has very broad criteria," Cr Rhonda Hoban told councillors at their meeting on Thursday.
Cr Susan Jenvey questioned the need for compensation.
"Surely Forestry Corp, with all its funds, has some community category that this would fall under. I congratulate you with this result, but can't we negotiate harder?" Cr Jenvey said.
Cr Hoban said this was a good result the council did not want to jeopardise.
"We don't desperately need this land now but depending on what happens we might need it in the future.
"This is our long term Plan B ... and if all else fails then the community will have a nice pocket of bush land."
After the meeting the Guardian News asked the mayor to clarify the seeming discrepancy between her position and that of the general manager, who last week suggested the land could be the site of a future regional landfill.
"The two approaches might seem contrary but the reality is that we simply don't know what the future holds," Cr Hoban said.
"We don't know if we will be responsible for our own waste, or whether the future holds a more regional approach or something even bigger, covering the North and Mid North Coasts.
"It all depends on what technology is developed in the coming years. For now we are shoring up our position.
"We are also conscious of what neighbouring councils face and the possibility of an interim request to deal with their waste."
She said it was eternally frustrating to watch the huge amounts of money raised from the compulsory waste levy go into the NSW Government's coffers.
"In my opinion all that money should be used to find more ways to prevent waste and support research into how we can reuse products that have previously gone to land fill."
Councillors voted in favour of:
- entering into a Memorandum of Understanding with Forestry Corp
- seeking gateway approval to rezone the land for the proposed extension of the Nambucca Heads Waste Management facility from RU3 Forestry to SP2 (Waste Management Facility).
- following approval, tendering for a suitable consultant to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the future development.
Nambucca Valley and Bellingen Councils are still waiting to hear the outcome of negotiations between Coffs Harbour City Council and contractor Biomass regarding how mixed waste organics from the three council areas will be dealt with in future.
