Moves towards creating a single Northern Irish waste disposal authority as early as May 2011 will not put the current procurement of multi-million pound waste infrastructure contracts in the country at risk, according to the country's environment minister, Edwin Poots.

The proposals are part of a local government reform programme agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive in 2008 which would also see Northern Ireland's 26 local authorities streamlined to just 11 councils but with more powers.

The proposal for a single waste disposal authority cannot, and will not, put current infrastructure procurement proposals at risk in any way

 
Edwin Poots, Northern Irish environment minister

Mr Poots told the Northern Irish Assembly in Stormont yesterday (October 20) that a single authority, with the role of procuring and running contracts, was a "better model" for dealing with municipal waste than the three waste management groups which are currently responsible for waste disposal.

The three groups procuring major contracts - SWaMP (see letsrecycle.com story), arc21 (see letsrecycle.com story), and the North West Region Waste Management Group (see letsrecycle.com story) - have all said that they hope to finalise their deals by early 2011 at the latest.

And, Mr Poots claimed that: "The proposal for a single waste disposal authority cannot, and will not, put current infrastructure procurement proposals at risk in any way. The ongoing infrastructure development programme will proceed to completion, and, on its establishment, the contracts will move to the new authority."

The proposed body would operate as a mandatory joint committee, with representation from all the 11 newly-established councils, and Mr Poots claimed that, by offering specialist experience, it would be "a centre of procurement excellence".

Benefits

Outlining the potential benefits of the new body, Mr Poots said that a single authority would offer a strategic approach to waste and value for money in both procuring and handling future waste management contracts.

And, he claimed it would provide the best environmentally-sensitive solutions to waste management, stating that as well as taking on board peoples' concerns over facilities, "it would, by its nature be responsive to the needs of individual councils and the ratepayers that they represent".

Reform plans

Under the local government reform plans, Northern Ireland's 11 new local authorities would become responsible for a number of functions carried out by central government from May 2011.

In his speech yesterday, Mr Poots claimed that the plans were "proceeding", and that the Executive was making "real progress" towards implementing the reform.

To coincide with his comments, a six-week consultation was launched on an economic appraisal - carried out by legal firm PricewaterhouseCoopers - of the options available for local government service delivery, recommending the reform proposals move forward.

Mr Poots claimed that the package of reforms would deliver savings of £438 million over a 25-year period, against an up-front investment in delivering the changes of £118 million over five years.

And, he said: "If we make the right political choices on the on the detailed design of new local government, proceeding with its reform makes sense, because it will improve efficiency, effectiveness and value for money."

Legislation

For the reform programme to be implemented, four pieces of legislation are expected to have to pass through the Northern Irish Assembly over the next 18 months.

Providing an update on their progress, Mr Poots told the Assembly that the first bill, the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill had been before the Assembly and its committee stage and would be back in front of the Assembly for its Consideration stage "in the not too distant future".

He explained that the second piece, the Local Government Finance Bill, which is currently out for consultation, was set to be introduced to the Assembly in spring 2010, while proposals relating to local government reorganisation would be published for consultation next month.

And, he added that proposals in relation to the reform and transfer of planning functions would be brought before the Executive after he had considered the outcome of recent consultation on planning reform.