CONSTRUCTION of a $14 million landfill could begin within months after key councillors indicated they would support the build.
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Deputy Mayor Jenny Bailey and Andrew Murat said yesterday they would vote for the landfill provided there were no big blow-outs in the budget.
Six out of 10 Armidale Dumaresq councillors say they will support the project, which is scheduled to be debated at an extraordinary meeting in the next fortnight.
As well as Crs Bailey and Murat, Jim Maher, Herman Beyersdorf, Colin Gadd and Rob Richardson have indicated support for the new landfill.
But Mayor Laurie Bishop said he had yet to decide how he would vote on the project.
A twist in the 20-year saga came last week, when acting General Manager Glenn Inglis ordered a review of the project’s costings, last carried out in 2010.
Accountacy consultants GHD Australia were paid $4850 to conduct the final costings.
Their findings were expected by today and councillors will have at least a week to mull the review.
Cr Bailey said: “Provided the report comes within the parameters set, then I will vote for the landfill.”
Cr Murat said he would also be happy to vote for the landfill project “provided there is no last-minute cost blow-out”.
The issue has bitterly divided councillors with six independent reports ordered and at least a dozen delays on deciding its fate.
The site is currently a cattle pasture on Waterfall Way and owned by two landholders, Derry Crisp and former Armidale councillor Kenneth Waters.
If built the new landfill would provide Armidale with 422,000 cubic metres of landfill for its waste over two decades.
It would also create 17 jobs during construction.
There were initial concerns the site was too close to a world-heritage-listed park.
But they were addressed with a recommendation the facility be lined with compacted clay and plastic to prevent leaching of toxic liquids into Oxley Wild Rivers National Park.
Putrescible material would be composted or stabilised in a “biocell” at Council’s Long Swamp Road facility before the residual waste is transported to the landfill.
The latest report also looked at Council’s other waste strategies and consultants APC made 15 recommendations to improve Armidale’s waste service.
They included greater cooperation with regional waste planning and a recommendation Council explore alternative waste treatments in the longer-term for a more efficient waste management system.
