The Importance of Waste Management Plans

The National Waste Policy estimates that we produce 67 million tonnes of waste annually in Australia, of which 60% is generated by commercial, construction and demolition activities.

Considering the significant contribution of the construction industry to the generation of waste, it is important to implement a Waste Management Plan during the planning phase of a proposed new development.  

The consent authority generally requires a Waste Management Plan to be submitted as part of the development application process to help facilitate waste management and reduction throughout the construction stage of the proposed development. Proponents must provide calculations of demolition and construction waste in addition to comprehensive details of sustainable ongoing operation.

The information provided in a Waste Management Plan is typically assessed against the Council and state government’s targets for minimising waste generation and maximising re-use and recycling.

A Waste Management Plan outlines strategies to manage waste generated by the proposed development and divert waste from landfill by ensuring where possible, any waste generated is appropriately recycled or reused.

The plan should include:

  • Achievable waste avoidance and reduction methods.
  • The expected amount of waste generation during demolition, construction, and the development’s ongoing operation.
  • Identification of how construction waste generated should be monitored and reported.
  • The roles and responsibilities associated with contractor waste disposal in large construction sites.

What are the benefits of implementing a Waste Management Plan?

Implementing a Waste Management Plan is evidently a best practice approach to new development where proponents can improve waste outcomes throughout the planning, construction and operational phases of the development.

A well-executed Waste Management Plan at the construction stage will help avoid excessive noise, odour, security, and vermin issues which may potentially arise due to poorly planned waste processing.

Sustainable ongoing waste management can result in cost efficiencies for developers and building management through integration of suitable bin sizing and collection frequencies.

Overall, Waste Management Plans provide an optimal and thorough approach to managing waste through consideration of both the environmental and social benefits of reducing waste generation.

How can Barker Ryan Stewart assist?

We have extensive experience preparing Waste Management Plans for a range of commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments to help manage and reduce the waste generation throughout the planning phase of these developments. We can also provide traffic engineering advice and reporting to determine the adequacy of loading and waste vehicle facilities for submission to the consent authority.

For any assistance with projects requiring the preparation of a Waste Management Plan, please don’t hesitate to contact your local BRS office.

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A Day in the Life of a Draftsperson at BRS: Debra Hannigan

In our ‘day in the life of’ blog series, we aim to showcase the work of our talented team and help you get to know the faces behind our projects a little bit better. This month we sat down with Debra Hannigan, one of our Draftspersons, to chat a bit more about the most enjoyable aspect of her role and the broad range of projects she works on as a Draftsperson.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what attracted you to becoming a Draftsperson?

I will have to be honest and say that I really did not know much about drafting when I first started using AutoCAD back in 1988, which was a very long time ago. My partner at the time had an Electrical Engineering Consultancy and the consultancy won a big contract at ICI (now Orica). They needed to get quite a few people on board quickly. I was between jobs at the time, and was asked if I wanted to learn on the job and become a Draftsperson. Which I said yes to as I needed an income. Computers were very basic back then, but I really enjoyed the challenge of learning about using a computer and the program AutoCAD.

What does a typical day in your working life look like?

A typical day for me is spent either in the office or at home in the study as I divide the week up by working from home two days a week. I spend the day mainly drafting on Civil Engineering plans or Survey Drafting. It really depends on deadlines, which ones have priority over the other. I also discuss the drafting with the person involved as to what is required for the drawing and how they would like the plan to look etc.

What are some of the projects you have enjoyed working on the most at BRS?

Some of the projects that I have enjoyed working on have been the Road Design/Upgrade ones. These include ones at Wingham, Taree, North Rothbury and Clarence Town. I am presently working on Railway Level Crossing which are scattered around NSW. This has been quite a challenging job in all respects.

What do you like most about your role and working at BRS?

What I like most about my role is the variety of the jobs I work on. No two jobs are ever the same. I enjoy the flexibility the company offers, for me this is the opportunity to work from home part time. I live over an hour away commute, so a break from that is just fantastic and I get to sleep in on those days, which is such a bonus for me! I also enjoy working with my fellow colleagues. Everyone has always been so friendly and helpful. I really appreciate that.

What is something that surprised you about the role of a Draftsperson?

Since I had no idea about drafting when I first started learning about it, I think the fact that I actually enjoyed it, surprised me. I enjoyed the challenge of it and still do. There is always something new to learn with it. Whether it is the drawing or the computer, there is always some puzzle/problem to solve which makes it interesting and I enjoy that about the job.

What would be your advice to anyone looking to become a Draftsperson?

My advice to someone who wants to do drafting is to perhaps do a course in learning how to use AutoCAD, which is the main tool for drafting these days. There are several fields in which drafting is required, so that the person should investigate which area they would be interested in working in such as architecture, the various fields of Engineering or the Construction Industry, plus others. There are plenty of areas to specialise in.

Want to get to know our team a bit better?

Check out our other ‘day in the life of’ blogs to learn more about our team.

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