May 31st, 2023Dealing with storm waste the excellent way: flagship facility gets a gong

The Macedon Ranges Shire 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 in recent days.
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.”