History of the Awaba Waste Management Centre

The Awaba landfill site was originally developed in 1986 to meet the growing needs of Lake Macquarie, at this time the Redhead landfill facility and other sites were also being used. With the closure of the Redhead landfill in 1994 and the strong growth in population and development within the district, the Awaba Landfill was expected to reach capacity in 2014.

The Awaba Tip (Waste Management Facility) is located on a 30-hectare site, off Wilton Road, Awaba.There is native bushland that surrounds the Tip as a buffer zone for the site. The site has had many upgrades, rehabilitations and improvements to be the facility it is today.

The tip has many parts of on its site, including; gatehouse with two weighbridges, entry and exit lanes, security compound, security monitoring system, machinery compound, reuse Centre, quarry area, Leachate collection ponds, bunded irrigation areas and leachate recirculation system, sediment collection ponds, drains and berms, garden waste receival and processing area.

The workers of the Awaba Tip include;

Tip hand, 2 Plant Operators, Green waste Area Tip hand, Gatekeeper, 2 labourers, Site Supervisor

The expected use by date was anticipated to be 2014, however, due to significant upgrades and changes in waste management strategies Awaba is still in use. Due to education of residents, use of a new three-bins system, recycling and new waste managment schemes this has extended life of the Awaba Tip, it is now a permanent structure for use into the future.

Recent changes

Previously use of the Awaba tip was just for landfill. In June 2012, the Council resolved to pursue a development application (project approval) to expand the capacity of the facility within the current property boundary. In May 2013, Council’s application to expand the Awaba Waste Management Facility was approved. This was a significant step towards the aim of securing the City's sustainable waste dispoal for the future.

The expansion project increased landfill space of the site by two and a half million tonnes and extended the lifespan of the facility by an estimated twenty years. The expansion involves the construction of two additional excavated landfill cells, the continual placement of waste over the active landfill area and the construction of a pipeline between the facility and Hunter Water Corporation’s Waste Water Pump Station at Rathmines for leachate disposal.

The existing facilities will also be upgraded as part of the project with a new weighbridge, recycling centre and amenities building, and a waste transfer station to aid efficiency and limit vehicle traffic at the tip face.

Physical works on the Awaba Waste Management Facility expansion project commenced in mid 2014.

What was the Tip before it was the tip?

Before the Awaba Tip was a waste disposal centre, the area was vacant Crown land, which was exclusively bushland. The area was zoned as Rural 1A zoning, which made it permissable to have a Tip in this area. The site is situated between the townships of Rathmines and Awaba, away from residential areas. The area had an existing gully and elongated knoll, 20 hectares of natural bushland had to be cleared before the tip was operational.

Awaba Tip Shop

A Tip Shop or the Awaba Reuse Centre previously operated at the Awaba Tip. The general public could buy items and hidden treasures that were recycled from the Tip. This shop was closed to the general public in November 2011, however the recycables and reusable items continue to be collected and are currently donated to local op-shops.

History of Tips in the City of Lake Macquarie

Redhead-

The closed Redhead facility was situated at 50 Redhead Road, Redhead. The Redhead Waste Facility was closed on the 31st of July 1994, due to the tip's landfill area being full. The Redhead tip was the depot for the main population centres on the east and north east of Lak Macquarie.

Rathmines

Rathmines depot serviced the Boolaroo, West Wallsend and the western areas of Lake Macquarie.

Bonnells Bay

Bonnells Bay had a small depot that catered for the residents of Morisset and the surrounding villages in the South Western corner of the City of Lake Macquarie. After the landfill was exhausted and Bonnells Bay ceased operations in 1984, the waste from this area was directed to Rathmines Tip.

Reference

New South Wales. Environment Protection Authority & Lake Macquarie City Council 1998, Lake Macquarie City Council, Awaba waste disposal facility, Awaba NSW - final: compliance audit report, EPA, Sydney

Lake Macquarie (N.S.W.). Council 2010, Additions to Awaba Waste Disposal Facility : preliminary environmental assessment, The Council, [Lake Macquarie, N.S.W.]

This work by Lake Macquarie City Library is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License