Archived decisions

Contact: Bob Lisney, ext 6647

1. Summary

1.1 An annual plan is presented to each partner authority of Project Integra for approval. Once approved the Executive Member will be deemed to have delegated power to take decisions at Project Integra Board meetings for the year within the agreed parameters, including financial, proposed by the plan.

2. The 2002/03 Plan

2.1 A copy of the plan is attached. Annual plans have been produced since 1996 and used as target setting and monitoring documents but until the formation of the Project Integra Board there was no formal collective accountability for meeting the annual objectives.

2.2 The plan will be presented annually between January/February for discussion, agreement and inclusion in the budgetary process in future years. This year it is presented in April as the new organisational arrangements only commenced in July 2001 and the set up period, including the executive support to the Board, inevitably needed time for new members to provide direction.

2.3 At the same time as the plan was being developed the Government encouraged the development of Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategies. These are in effect similar to the annual business plan, except that they require greater presentation of collection and disposal logistics and costs.

2.4 The Project Integra strategy has effectively been updated by members annually with the emphasis of year on year achievement in implementing a new infrastructure. By 2004 the core infrastructure will have been provided. A more fundamental consideration will be required between now and 2004 to take into account:

(i) the Natural Resource Management Initiative;

(ii) increases in targets for packaging recovery;

(iii) implementation of EU directives for:

- landfill

- electronic goods

- organic processing;

(iv) funding considerations including:

- increases in taxes

- opportunities for external income

- need for additional capital and revenue income;

(v) information derived from local research into waste minimisation, recycling potential and public behaviour.

2.5 Such consideration will take place within the Integra network but also within the wider framework of the Natural Resource Management Initiative and the community engagement processes. This will ensure external challenge in both the Community Strategy discussions and also the process to update the land use plan for resource and waste processing facilities.

Recommendation

That the Committee comments on the plan for presentation to the Executive Member for Environment.

7116/RPL