Storm waste facility wins award for excellence

Last updated on 26 May 2023

Council’s flagship storm waste facility near Romsey has won its second award, having taken out the Special Projects Initiative category at the 2023 LGPro Awards for Excellence.

The awards recognise the outstanding work by individuals and teams working in local government in Victoria, with the category recognising a project with innovation, sustainability, clearly demonstrated outcomes, benefits relative to cost and the ability to meet specific needs.

The storm waste facility was established in partnership with Emergency Recovery Victoria in response to the severe June 2021 storms. The site has processed more than 65,000 tonnes of tree and storm debris from the Macedon Ranges and other storm-affected areas throughout Victoria.

Product has been returned back to impacted communities in the form of free timber, fence posts, tree stakes, firewood, fish habitat, mulch, sawdust and more; totalling over $35 million in market value so far.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council CEO Bernie O’Sullivan said the award showed what can be achieved when collaborating positively with partner agencies to overcome adversity.

“The storm events in June 2021 were unlike anything we had experienced,” he said. “There was wide-spread destruction across our shire including a considerable amount of fallen trees and storm debris which required clearing and disposing of.”

“In partnership with the Victorian Government, we were able to implement the storm waste facility which was used to efficiently process waste not only from our shire but also from across the state.”

“I would like to thank everybody involved in this successful project. So many people and community groups have benefitted from the innovative ways storm waste has been recycled through this facility.”

Council’s Cool Changes program was also recognised as a finalist in LGPro’s Corporate and Community Planning Awards 2023.

The program, which commenced in 2018, facilitated the creation of seven localised Community Climate Action Plans by residents in the Macedon Ranges, providing a customised, place-based approach to addressing climate change.

The Cool Changes program has since extended to Cool-ER Changes – a collaboration between both community and Council to create a shared, shire-wide Climate Emergency Response Plan. A draft plan will be prepared and placed on public consultation for wider community feedback later this year.