What are the safety risks of your job?

There are so many! Batteries and flares are causing more and more fires in the landfill, we have had trucks arrive on site with rubbish inside on fire, or fires will start at the landfill itself when we are compacting the waste because they have not been disposed of properly. It may seem convenient to throw a battery or old electric toy into your bins at home, but this is against the law and causes real danger for workers every day. Plus, it makes your waste services more expensive!

As the public attends the site, we need to ensure the public's safety while still operating a resource recovery and landfill site. Large machinery moves around, trucks come and go, and potential contaminants may be brought onto the site that can cause health and safety hazards. We also need to monitor for any potential adverse weather conditions. 
So many things are happening at once that complicate the management and operation of the site.
 

Has this role changed how you think about waste, and have you changed your waste habits?

Yes! I am much more aware of what can be recycled and recovered instead of just throwing things into landfill. A landfill has a short lifespan, so resource recovery is important. Recycling can be confusing, with the different companies that take different items and what is recyclable and what isn't. It is so important to check the City’s online recycling guide if you’re not sure, as we need to keep as much as possible out of landfills.

What is one of the things you like most about your job?

I get to do so many different things. In one morning, I can fly a drone over the site to measure stockpiles for compliance, as well as fixing the IT (Information Technology) on-site, operate large machinery and help with litter picking.

Is there anything memorable that has happened on the job?

A dance theatre group came to the site for a tour. It must have been a weekend, as it was unusual. One of the ladies with the group said that she wanted to have a photo taken at the site and said she would strip down a little bit for the photo. When the time came for the photo, she stripped down much more than we expected and had the pictures taken in nothing but her birthday suit!

What do you wish the people of Geelong knew about your job?

Waste services are more complex than people think. 
My tip would be to reduce your waste by re-using things like plastic fruit and vegetable bags, buying items that you can use over and over instead of single-use and recycling as much as you can.
We deal with every little bit of waste generated in the City, whether on the resource recovery side, where we work to keep as much out of the landfill as possible, or on the landfill side when items are not reusable.

What misconceptions do you think most people have about waste workers and what you do?

They think we are all tip rats! Waste management is just that, management. We are required to meet many compliance measures, which involve testing potential odour emissions and ensuring that no contaminants leave the site, whether through water runoff or airborne. We consult with independent companies who monitor the site for compliance with all environmental compliance requirements. No longer is it a case of dumping the rubbish, burying it and forgetting all about it that it may have been in the past. Waste management has changed so much in just the 10 years I have been in this role.

What would a perfect day look like when you are not at work?

A day spent doing absolutely nothing! I have a young child and am also a farmer, so doing nothing would be my perfect day, as this does not happen!