Shire takes steps towards sustainable future

THE Surf Coast Shire has adopted a new three-year action plan to guide the management of the region’s waste and drive a transition toward a circular economy.

A circular economy is one where materials are kept in use for a long as possible through processes such as maintenance, reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacture, recycling and composting, helping to avoid waste and regenerate nature.

The Circular Economy Action Plan 2024-2027 (CEAP) outlines clear directions for the shire, identifying five key priority areas and 25 core actions within these.

The plan also sets out a range of targets, which align with both the Victorian and Australian government’s goals, to enable monitoring of the shire’s progress.

The key priorities for action established in the plan are:

• Increasing resource recovery – focusing on education, engagement and behaviour change
• Maximising reuse – keeping materials in use for a long as possible in both council operations and through community initiatives
• Innovation and collaboration – working with key partners to better understand issues, devise solutions and inspire positive action
• Driving systems change – embedding circular economy principles in strategic council documents and improving data collection, and
• Advocacy – advocating for government support for meaningful changes supporting circular economy and empowering community to advocate and actively drive a circular economy.

The factors motivating a shift to a circular economy in the shire include the council’s commitment to climate action and environmental protection, increasing waste management costs, the closure of Anglesea landfill in the coming years, and a growing population leading to more waste.

Cr Kate Gazzard said the adoption of the action plan was a positive and proactive step, which will help to guide both the shire’s and community-wide transition to a circular economy.

She thanked the community for the feedback provided on the plan during its consultation period.

“The action plan will help us have a far greater impact on reducing waste and increasing resource recovery together,” she said.

“We now encourage residents to embrace a circular economy mindset in their everyday lives.”

These actions might include only buying what is needed, buying items made with recycled content or that are pre-loved, avoiding single-use disposable items, home composting and using the four kerbside bins correctly.

As part of the action plan, the shire will also provide a once-off grant of $20,000 to an existing or new community or business group to enable the establishment of a Surf Coast Shire Library of Things (LoT).

A LoT promotes a local sharing economy by providing a place where people can loan products and learn new skills, rather than purchase the items themselves, especially for products that are not regularly used.

The items on offer through the LoT might include household tools, gardening equipment and home sustainability items, helping to reduce the impacts associated with the production of produces, reduce waste and lower household costs.