Waste strategy workshop attendance figures slump
Thursday 16th June 2011, 2:29PM BST.
Public Services minister Deputy Bernard Flouquet
A LACK of confidence in the waste strategy consultation workshops has seen attendance drop by more than half, its members have claimed.
Recently Public Services sent out a nine-page document to address concerns raised by members.
It looked to clarify the ‘behind the scenes’ technical processes of the consultation.
‘The consultation process that is currently under way has been very demanding and questions have inevitably arisen from some stakeholders about the format and technical aspects,’ it said.
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Why has it taken them so long to come up with an alternative solution, that’s a bit too kind of me. They haven’t come up with an alternative solution! The environment department are useless.
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Mr G
Patience.You must remember that a States department is involved here
When States departments are involved you have to think of a number and then add about a year to it
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Mr. G. , I normally try to ignore such comments directed at my Department but on this occasion, as you quite obviously don’t know what you are talking about, I have to put you straight. This initiative is nothing to do with the Environment Department. The article states quite clearly that this ONGOING process is being organised by the Public Services Department. Incidentally, as one of the people who has attended the workshops I find the whole process very interesting and it gives a varied selection of Islanders an opportunity to be involved in what is at times a difficult and time-consuming process but one that I hope will lead to an acceptable solution to our waste problem.
Deputy Pete Sirett
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@Mr G
?
Suggest you sort your facts prior to facile comments, the article relates PSD, not Environment.
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As you leave the workshops there is a chart by the door where you have to indicate your level of satisfaction with the process. PSD employees stand right next to you handing out pens. It is a bit like being asked in a restaurant if you enjoyed the meal and saying “oh yes, thank you” to the waiter and then complaining to your companion when he has gone, because we don’t like telling people that we don’t like what they are doing.
And of course, more importantly, there is no record of how impressed the people are who have not bothered to turn up.(Not very, one would assume).
This might seem to be a minor point, but unfortunately, PSD are sending updates to the deputies with dinky graphs on showing how happy all the participants are. The vast majority of the participants I have spoken to are not happy at all and feel that the whole process is being manipulated and skewed in favour of PSD’s desired outcome.
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Pete Sirett – PSD have hoodwinked you too with their spin! Doesn’t bode well…
What waste problem? PSD use language like this all the time to foist their agenda on the sheeple.
PSD are out of control and need to be stopped.
Without wanting to go over old ground again…you know whats going to happen? We’re going to end up with a thumping great bonfire as everyone is “happy”.
I’m not.
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rocquaine
The last meeting is due soon.Time to stand up and be counted otherwise we’ll all be paying forever for a multi million pound incinerator just like the one 25 miles away ( or about three hours by Condor) … that is if any of the world’s suppliers will consider dealing with Guernsey after two late cancellations
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Doesn’t matter which department it is, they’re both as bad as each other.
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They’ll be queueing up Ray because they know they’ll get a fat, juicy £6 million or so in compensation from us mugs just like Suez and Lurgi did :-)
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They will be breaking the door down. In fact I would put folding money on the idea that Suez already have a key to the door – hell they might even refund our £3.7m as a sweetener!
Which now I come to think of it reminds me – the absolute maximum compensation allowed for in the Suez contract in case of cancellation was £3.2m.
So what was the extra £0.5m for?
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I don’t think Dep. Sirett has been hoodwinked in the slightest by PSD. He has always been staunchly pro mass-burn incineration and maybe like others he can see exactly where this process is heading – the only difference being that he likes what he sees.
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Based on feedback I’ve heard from people attending these meetings, the main problem was the way that the process was being steered rather heavily towards one option.
Instead of looking at all waste options, PSD were basically asking ‘Do you want this big incinerator or this little one?’
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Donkey W
I’ve heard it’s even worse than that …
The question being asked is ‘ Do you want this big red incinerator or this big blue one?’
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I think a green one would look nice.
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Word has got out that it is all about returning to an incineration strategy.
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I was there last night and it was full!
what struck me though was the age profile of the attendees – I must have been one of the youngest and the average age of us in the invitees must have been +50 (and thats being generous) – grumpy old men and women over represented – I would have had more young people there – its our future after all.
Just a thought
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What are you all “incinerating”? Sorry about the spelling.
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I am going to the workshop tonight and I agree Jack… it will be a shame if younger people are not well represented. It is the next generation that is going to start to feel the effects of resource depletion and rescuing materials will become the complete norm for them.
Incineration as a form of ‘getting rid’ of waste (in the long term) is unnecessary. Guernsey should aim to be part of the new modern drive to be part of a circular economy where resources are rescued and reused or recycled.
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Well first there was a 70,000 tonne incinerator, then there was a 45,000 tonne one, and maybe now there will be a 30,000 tonne one. Someone somewhere seems to love incineration.
The workshops are not only short of younger people, they are short of women – maybe one person in five last night was a woman. So just like the States, we have a bunch of old men making all the decisions.
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Hopefully this type of waste answer is included in the options being put forward. It is installed in the UK and proven and installed elsewhere.
But would require joined up thinking between waste and sewage.
http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2011/06/22/experts-outline-food-waste-treatment-plan/
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A little worrying that PSD are still thinking about an incinerator after what has gone on previously. Is it not blindingly obvious that the People want an alternative. When the next election comes there needs to be a sweeping change if Deputies are not listening to the Voice of the People.
On the flip side the people need to make themselves heard. If not weak willed deputies will be swayed by powerful Big Business.
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