City of Bunbury provides funding for new lined waste disposal cell at Stanley Road Waste Management Facility

As decided at the Bunbury ordinary council meeting on November 23, the loan will be provided on the condition that the Shire of Harvey will match the same amount to the BHRC.

The funding will go towards work including the capping of the existing waste disposal cell and construction of a new lined waste disposal cell at the facility.

The announcement comes after the BRHC were issued an Environmental Protection Notice by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation on July 5.

It was also announced in October that more than 100 properties in Leschenault will be investigated after per-and-polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were detected leaching into the groundwater at the facility.

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The facility has been unable to accept commercial waste since the notice from Environmental Protection was issued.

City of Bunbury mayor Jaysen De San Miguel said although the situation was undesirable, the city had a responsibility to "step in and help".

"The city has historically been a leader when it comes to waste management, with our community passionate about waste initiatives and equipped for challenges such as this," Cr De San Miguel said.

"It is hoped the Stanley Road Waste Management Facility can be a truly regional waste precinct that meets the aspirations of the State Government's Waste Strategy and the expectations of our community.

"The city welcomes plans to move away from unlined cells at the facility along with other initiatives to minimise environmental impacts into the future."

The Bunbury council also endorsed the city working with the Shire of Harvey and BHRC to seek other funding opportunities for waste management along with $10 million in grant funding from the state government.

The Bunbury Harvey Regional Council will fund $2 million towards the capital works.

The source of the funding, recovery and timing of repayments by the City of Bunbury is still to be determined.