Municipal Affairs
September 26, 2008

Chair Appointed to Greater Avalon Waste Management Committee

The Honourable Dave Denine, Minister of Municipal Affairs, announced today the appointment of Ken Kelly as chair of the Greater Avalon Regional Waste Management Committee. Mr. Kelly will work with the 16-member committee to advance the modernization of solid waste management for the greater Avalon region.

"I am very pleased with the appointment of Mr. Kelly as committee chair," said Minister Denine. "He brings to the role a wealth of knowledge, strong work ethic and a demonstrated commitment to the province. I am confident that he will effectively guide the committee in achieving its mandate, which is to develop the waste management action plan for the region."

Mr. Kelly is a strategic municipal advisor with over 10 years experience in business process improvement, organizational transformation and project management. He is President of UVH Group, a management consulting practice specializing in the provision of local government consulting services. He holds a bachelor of arts (honours) from Acadia University, as well as masters of urban and rural planning from the Technical University of Nova Scotia. Mr. Kelly is currently a member of the St. John�s Board of Trade and the Canadian Public Works Association.

"With a region that includes half the entire population of the province, 72 municipalities, 35 local service districts and 30 unincorporated areas, we are faced with the challenging mandate of developing a plan that meets the needs of all intended users," said Mr. Kelly. "However, I am pleased to say that we embrace that challenge and are eager to move forward with the work that is necessary to develop an operational vision and action plan for waste management in the greater Avalon."

The Greater Avalon Regional Waste Management Committee comprises 50 per cent representation held by the City of St. John�s and 50 per cent held by representatives of municipalities located throughout the region. There are 16 members: Robert Bishop, Lisa Browne, Bob Codner, Wally Collins, Kim Crosbie, Joy Dobbie, Shannie Duff, Ron Ellsworth, Ed Grant, Tom Hann, Paul Mackey, Gladys Mercer, Leo Moriarty, Ron Penney, Kevin Power, and Art Puddister. Candidates for the position of chair were reviewed by the committee and it unanimously supported Mr. Kelly�s appointment.

In May 2007, the Provincial Government announced implementation of the $200-million provincial solid waste management strategy, with a goal for full implementation by 2020. The strategy calls for three full-service regional waste management facilities in the Avalon, Central and Western areas of the island portion of the province, and programs that will be developed for the zones in Labrador to meet the provincial waste management goals.

"Robin Hood Bay has been selected as the site of the waste management facility for the greater Avalon region," said Minister Denine. "Mr. Kelly will be responsible to facilitate and guide the committee through the process of development and implementation of the new system. Ultimately, the committee will become an elected authority with representation from the entire region. As chair, I am sure Mr. Kelly will find the task before him to be interesting, challenging and rewarding."

The greater Avalon regional site is expected to be operational by 2010. Target dates for the Central and Western sites are 2011 and 2016, respectively. The provincial strategy will aim to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills in the province by 50 per cent supported by the use of disposal bans and development of new waste diversion programs.

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Media contact:
Jennifer Collingwood
Director of Communications
Department of Municipal Affairs
709-729-1983, 709-690-2498
JenniferCollingwood@gov.nl.ca

2008 09 26                                                   10:15 a.m.

 


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