Rubbish

Rubbish is often one of the first things that new arrivals at a community notice and comment on.

Some kinds of rubbish are not an environmental health problem, they are more an 'aesthetic' problem. But, even this kind of rubbish can accumulate and become a safety hazard. For example, it can be a site for the breeding of insects, pests and rodents. Also, rubbish lying around the community can give people the impression that it is alright to drop more rubbish.

Solid waste that can cause health problems includes: soiled disposable nappies, food scraps, soiled clothing, dog faeces, broken glass or other sharp objects, plastic bags.

Sometimes people burn rubbish in 44 gallon drums outside their house. The dangerous and unpleasant fumes from burning plastics can be a real hazard, especially to asthmatics.

In remote areas it is likely that there has been limited environmental health education about rubbish and related issues about risks.

Rubbish collection and disposal system

Some communities do not have a rubbish tip that is well sited, fenced, organised and managed. They also may not have suitable vehicles or equipment for the process.

Even if people do want to use bins, removal is often difficult. People don't have the necessary equipment. For example, 44 gallon drums are often available locally but they are extremely heavy and therefore difficult to empty. They require specialised collection equipment to empty them as regularly as is necessary to maintain good standards.

Waste collection needs well organised, reliable, funded systems to:

• get the rubbish out of the house on a certain day/s, so that it is ready for collection
• maintain bins at many sites around the community
• educate and encourage people to use these bins
• protect rubbish (from dogs, vehicles etc) when bins are in public places or outside the house ready for collection
• collect the rubbish regularly

Guidelines and legislation

The Northern Territory Waste Management and Pollution Control Act 1998 applies to the whole of the NT. It deals with:

• the approval of location, design and layout of sites
• licensing of sites, and
• ongoing operation of landfill sites across the NT

The community council should always consult its local EHW and EHO when thinking about siting or re-siting a tip.

See the Guidelines for the Siting, Design and Management of Solid Waste Disposal Sites in the Northern Territory. This is a set of guidelines on how and where to dispose of rubbish. It covers smell, pollution, pest control, access to the rubbish site and burning of rubbish

Who is working in 'Rubbish'

• The Community Council has overall responsibility for removal of waste
• The Community Health Centre is responsible for getting rid of its waste in accordance with THS policy and with special regard to the Interim Policy for Medical Waste Disposal
• The Chief Health Officer for THS is required to give approval for disposal sites
• The Department of Housing, the Department of Local Government and ATSIC may provide funding for equipment purchase and maintenance, rubbish collection and safe disposal
• Department of Lands, Planning & Environment may be involved in doing environmental assessments for larger sites but are not, at present, involved with smaller communities
• Keep Australia Beautiful (KAB) works on the Tidy Towns incentive

		See Section 2 - 'Removing waste, sewage and rubbish'