INQUIRY INTO WASTE GENERATION and RESOURCE EFFICIENCY PRODUCTIVE COMMISSION 
LB2, COLLINS STREET EAST MELBOURNE, VIC 8003.

Attention :- Delwyn Lanning.
I am a retired Environmental Health Officer with 33 years service with the Brisbane City Council. In that capacity over the years I had service in contry areas, suburban and city areas and extensive experience in the selection and operation of refuse tips receiving domestic, commercial and liquid wastes.

I was also responsible for the control of the operations of Tanneries, Woolscours, Knackeries, Poultry Farms, Piggeries, Stables, Commercial Dog Kennels and Catteries to ensure they operated on site without breaches of The Health Act and BCC Ordinances and to ensure their wastes were similarly disposed of.
Whilst in Sydney in August 2004 I read in the Sydney Morning Herald where there was an enormous problem with the availability of disposal sites for domestic and Commercial Wastes and to overcome that a decision had been made to transport the waste by train to the Woodlawn open cut mine near Goulbourn with an estimated life of 70 years

My thoughts were that with the probable great increase in population that life could be substantially reduced. I also pondered whether the 6 x 55 wagon loads per week were for The Sydney City Council Area alone or for the whole of the Sydney Metropolitan Area. I discarded the thought about the latter.

After much thought I concluded the long term (100's) of years would be as follows.
RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF LAKE EYRE AS AN INLAND SEA AND RE-AFFORESTATION OF THE LAKE EYRE BASIN.
TIME FRAME UP TO 50 YEARS.
Calculated on the fact that there would be great discussion
between governments at all level to reach an agreement,
climatologists, meteorologists, transport authorities,
engineering feasibility studies to determine the design for
control based on the ultimate summit vertical and the
required base radii to obtain the correct angle of repose and
tiered drainage releases systems, unions and there would be
much difficulty with environmentalists and negotiations on
native title issues.

WHY
1 	TO TURN THE AREAS INTO A FERTILE LAND AND TO ESTABLISH LARGE SCALE HABITABLE LOCALITIES
2 	TO TURN LARGE SCALE WASTE DISPOSAL PROBLEMS IN
THE EASTERN AND SOUTH EASTERN SEABOARDS INTO
NATIONAL BENEFIT

HOW
1 	CAUSE THE EVERARD Range IN THE VICINITY OF THE EASTERN SLOPE OF Mt EVERARD (1174m) AND Mt CHANDLER (547m) ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE ADELAIDE TO ALICE SPRINGS HIGHWAY TO BE RAISED TO A HEIGHT OF 2500m OR MORE.

2 	CAUSE THE HEIGHT OF Mt BRITTON (334m) AND Mt BEDDOME (427m) ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY TO BE RAISED TO A HEIGHT OF 2500m

3 	BUILD A MOUNTAIN 2500m HIGH, OR MORE, BETWEEN DIAMANTINA RANGE & WARBURTON Ck AND COOPER Ck.

IN WHAT WAY
(A) 	WITH THE WASTES FROM THE CITIES AND TOWNS FROM NSW, VICTORIA AND SOUTH AUSTRALIA AND OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS CONTIGUOUS TO TWO RAILWAY SERVICES TRAVERSING NSW. THE NORTHEREN VIA BROKEN HILL TO PETERBOROUGH.	THEN LINK TO THE GHAN,

AND THE SOUTHERN LINE VIA WOOLLONGONG, MILDURA TO ADELAIDE.
AND MELBOURNE ETC TO ADELAIDE AND THE GHAN

IT MIGHT BE THOUGHT THAT THE LENGTH OF THE TRAINS WOULD BE UN- REALISTIC. BUT BEFORE THAT IDEA IS DISCARDED TAKE
INTO ACCOUNT THE COAL TRAINS FROM THE COAL FIELDS TO THE COAST IN QUEENSLAND.

(B) 	THE EXCAVATED MATERIAL FROM LAKE EYRE

4 	CAUSE LAKE EYRE TO BE DREDGED & / OR MINED TO ITS ORIGINAL DEPTH MILLENNIA AGO AND THE EXCAVATED MATERIAL BE USED TO COVER THE DEPOSITED WASTES AND OTHERWISE USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOUNTAINS.
5 	THE HEIGHTS MENTIONED ARE A SHADE ABOVE THAT OF SNOW RECEIVED AT Mt KOSCIUSKO (2289)

OBSERVATIONS OF THE SATELLITE WEATHER MAP ON TV CONSISTENTLY SHOW CLOUDS OVER BLOWING THOSE AREAS AND THEIR PROJECTED HEIGHTS SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO ENTRAP THEIR RAIN CONTENTS AND SHED THEM INTO THE CREEKS SUPPLYING LAKE EYRE. IT IS ALSO FEASIBLE
THAT	THEY ARE HIGH ENOUGH TO TRAP SNOW BEARING
CLOUDS. HAVING IN MIND THAT THEY ARE SOMEWHAT SOUTH
OF STANTHORPE'S LATITUDE WHICH TOWN OFT HAS SNOW
FALLS.

RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF LAKE EYRE

A 	BORE HOLES OVER THE 168Sq MILES (47,786 ha) OF LAKE EYRE TO ESTABLISH ITS INTERNAL CONTOURS AND BANK ANGLES OF REPOSE TO ITS ORIGINAL IMPERVIOUS BASE.

B 	DETERMINE HOW BEST TO REMOVE THEN PROTECT AND
RETAIN FERTILITY OF LATENT FISH EGGS IN THE SURFACE SOIL	WAITING RAINS TO DEVELOP, AND OTHER AQUATIC LIFE

MAINTAIN WATER SURROUNDED ROOKERIES FOR MIGRATING BIRDS.

C 	HOW BEST TO PROVIDE PREDATOR FREE ROOKERIES FOR THE KNOWN SPECIES OF BIRDS FREQUENTING THE LAKE
DURING ITS	BOUNTIFUL SEASONS.
THE BUILDING OF MOUNTAINS
IT IS KNOWN THAT THE DISPOSAL OF WASTES FROM CITIES SUCH AS NEWCASTLE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, ADELAIDE AND OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS OF HIGH DENSITY HAVE PRESENT AND FUTURE PROBLEMS WITH PROPER AND ECONOMIC DISPOSAL OF THE WASTES GENERATED IN THOSE LOCALITIES.

MOUNTAINS OF WASTES HAVE BEEN BUILT BEFORE AND ONE I RECALL IS IN A NORTH AMERICAN STATE ON THE GREAT PALMS (MONTANA?)
TO PROTECT A CITY FRON THE SOUTH WARD ARCTIC WINDS.
PROPOSAL
THAT THE CITIES OF NEWCASTLE, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, ADELAIDE AND OTHER CITIES AND TOWNS CONTIGUOUS TO RAILWAY FACILITIES ROUTED DIRECTLY, OR CONNECTED WITH SUCH LINES, WESTWARD OR NORTH WARDS TOWARDS OR BY LAKE EYRE, BE REQUIRED TO COLLECT ALL HOUSE HOLD, COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AND HOSPITAL PUTRESCIBLE REFUSE, OTHER THAN NIGHTSOIL, AND CAUSE IT TO BE TRANSPORTED TO CENTRAL WORKS FOR KILN DRYING, TO PREVENT FUTURE SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, THEN COMPACTED INTO STANDARD SIZED BALES COVERED WITH HIGH GRADE INDUSTRIAL, HERMETICALLY SEALED BIODEGRAGEABLE PLASTIC FOR EASE OF HANDLING. IT WOULD MATTER NOT WHETHER THAST KILN DRYING WAS CARRIED OUT AT THE LAKE EYRE TERMINOUS.

SUCH BALES THEN TO BE USED AS BUILDING BLOCKS IN TIERS OR AS RESTRAINTS TO BE INFILLED WITH OR COVERED BY SOIL FROM THE LAKE.
THE FACT THAT THE PLASTIC WILL NOT DEGENERATE TOO QUICKLY IS ESSENTIAL TO PREVENT THE ADMISSION OF WATER LIKELY TO CAUSE SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. AND AS THEY ARE TO GO INTO A MOUNTAIN FOR ALL ETERNITY IT MATTERS NOT.

TIMBER, FERROUS AND NON FERROUS WASTE METALS TO BE RECYCLED WITHIN THEIR BOUNDARIES.
BUILDERS WASTES SUCH AS TIMBER OFF CUTS, MASONITE, FORM BOARD, PARTICLE BOARD, PLASTER AND FIBROUS SHEETING WASTES, BRICK AND MASONRY WASTES AND EXCESS SPOILS TO BE CONTAINED IN MANAGEABLE SIZE SKIPS AND TRANSPORTED AND DISPOSED OF SEPARATELY FROM ENCAPSULATED MATERIAL
ACCESS TO THE AREAS.
1 	SPUR LINES AND/OR ROADS TO BE CONSTRUCTED FROM THE KHAN LINE TO Mt EVERARD AND Mt CHANDLER.

2 	SPUR LINE AND OR ROADS TO BE CONSTRUCTED FROM THE KHAN	LINE TO Mt BEDDOME AND Mt BRITTON.

3 	UPGRADE ROAD FROM PORT AUGUSTA TO MARREE THEN BUILD A NEW ROAD OR RAIL LINK 400 km FROM MARREE TO A SITE BETWEEN THE DIAMANTINA AND COOPERS CREEK.

4 	WORKERS ACCOMMODATION. AIRCONDITIONED, SOLAR POWERED PREFABRICATED HOUSING AND OTHER INFRACTURE TO BE FLOWN IN.
I MENTION SOLAR POWERED BECAUSE I RECENTLY VIEWED A SEGMENT ON THE ABC (I THINK) WHICH SHOWED A WHOLE ABORIGINAL COMMUNITY SO PROVIDED WITH ELECTRICITY.

ALTERNATIVELY WIND POWERED GENERATION MAY BE FEASILBLE OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH WITH BACK UP DEISEL	FACILITIES.

5 	REQUIRED MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT SUCH AS END LOADERS,
FORK LIFTS, CRANES TRUCKS, UTES AND DOZERS CAN BE
FLOWN IN AND THE ULTIMATE USE OF HELICOPTERS TO LIFT AND DEPOSIT BALES IF REQUIRED.

6 	ENGINEERING PLANS FOR THE WHOLE OF THE OPERATION. SUCH TO INCLUDE WASTES TO BE SO DEPOSITED THAT THE ARE IN FIRE ISOLATED SECTIONS.
RE AFFORESTATION.
AS THE AREAS BECOME MOIST THEY BE SOWN WITH GREAT NUMBERS OF ESTABLISHED POTTED TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION KNOWN TO BE NATIVE TO THE REGION.

WITH CAREFUL HUSBANDING THEY WOULD BE ESSENTIAL FOR SOIL RETENTION TO REDUCE FUTURE SILTING OF THE LAKE (SEA)

ONCE ESTABLISHED THEY WOULD ALSO CREATE CONVECTION RAIN

I regret I cannot nominate for the Public Hearing in Brisbane on 27July 2006 as I am due to be hospitalised for open heart surgery on
the 12th July and if the operation is successful I have been informed the recovery will be at least 4 months. 

Yours sincerely,

R.L. CARR 
F.A.I.E.H.O. (Life Ret)
3/07/06

The Sydney Morning Herald Pubdate: Monday 02nd of August 2004
Edition: First

For Sydney, it's a complete space of waste

Daniel Lewis Regional Reporter It is 800 metres wide, more than 200 metres deep and it should take Sydney at least 70 years to fill its 25 million cubic metres with rubbish.
After a saga involving court action, political intrigue and hostile communities, the Woodlawn open-cut mine near Goulburn is about to start operating as the city's new super-tip and much more.
Later this month, Australia's first garbage train is due to pull out of the controversial Clyde waste transfer station bound for the old copper, zinc and lead mine that closed in 1998, leaving 160 miners owed $6.5 million.
The waste company Collex eventually hopes to have six 55-carriage trains a week making the 250-kilometre journey, each carrying 1200 tonnes of rubbish.
At full capacity, the mine will take 400,000 tonnes of putrescible waste a year - 20 per cent of what Sydney creates.
Collex calls its new operation a bioreactor because it will harvest the methane gas created as the garbage breaks down to about a ninth of its original mass and use it to generate electricity. Together with electricity from a wind farm it wants to build on the ridge above the mine, the company plans to generate enough power for 30,000 homes a year.
The hot water from the process will be used to establish greenhouses and fish farming.
With Sydney rapidly running out of space to dump its rubbish, Collex and others started looking at country sites more than a decade ago and were mostly howled down by furious locals. But in the village of Tarago, near Woodlawn, Sydney's rubbish is more than welcome.
Collex helped win over locals by offering to pay the miners' entitlements. The last 45 per cent will be paid when the first load of rubbish arrives.
The company is also paying a royalty of $2 for every tonne dumped at Woodlawn for community projects, rehabilitating the 3000-hectare mine site and hiring as many locals as possible.
Harry Nesbitt, publican of the Loaded Dog Hotel, said Collex had listened to what locals wanted, and satisfied nearly all the sceptics.
Terry Archer, 57, is one of many former Woodlawn miners who had to leave the district in search of work when the mine closed. He is happy to be back working at the site and has no qualms about his backyard taking Sydney's rubbish.
"It's got to go somewhere and there's a dirty big bole out there and so it might as well go there," he said. But the Woodlawn saga is not over yet. Last year, Clyde and Auburn residents won a court case that was likely to scuttle the transfer station until the State Government passed special legislation to override the judgement, arguing that it had to avert a landfill shortage and save the miners' entitlements. That sparked questions about Collex and its donations to the Labor Party. On behalf of his fellow residents, John Drake is again going to court to try to stop the transfer station, claiming it is "totally unlawful" and that tips such as Woodlawn create huge amounts of greenhouse gases.
Caption: TWO PHOTOS: Waiting for your rubbish ... the old Woodlawn mine near Tarago. Collex hopes six 55-carriage trains will make the journey to the super-tip each week. Photo: Peter Morris Kim Beazley, when he was Opposition leader, addresses former Woodlawn miners protesting outside Parliament House in 1998. Photo: Andrew Meares
Comments: ADDENDUM: "Wagon" should have been used instead of 'carriage'. Source: Readerlink 03/04/04. Input: Angie Gemmill