WAGGA City Council has been named a 'big polluter' in the eyes of the Labor Party.
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Depending on the election outcome this Saturday, the party could require the council to cap its emissions in a bid to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released each year by 45 per cent, by 2030.
The council has joined 250 other firms, which are also considered big polluters.
Wagga City Council's environment and city compliance manager Mark Gardiner said the emissions come from its waste management centre, which was voluntarily reported.
"The reporting Council currently, under the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme, is only for the Gregadoo Waste Management Centre, which last financial year equated to 71 per cent of the council's carbon emissions," he said.
"The council provides a number of essential services and facilities throughout the city that supports the economic and social fabric of the community.
"The council's carbon emissions are therefore influenced through the communities use of the various services and facilities."
Mr Gardiner said the landfill was legacy waste, which dated back to 1981. It emits methane when it breaks down.
Of the 63,228 tonnes of carbon dioxide reported during the 2017-18 financial period, Mr Gardiner said 56,293 tonnes could be related back to the legacy waste.
The council has plans in place to reduce its emissions.
"Because of how harmful these greenhouse gases are to the environment, the council captures and flares some of the methane generated," Mr Gardiner said.
The council's carbon emissions are therefore influenced through the communities use of the various services and facilities.
- Mark Gardiner
"Since its commissioning in 2002 the methane flare facility has destroyed methane equivalent to more than 90,000 tonnes with plans to expand it.
"The carbon emissions will reduce significantly into the future with the introduction of composting food and garden organic in April 2018.
"Around 10,000 tonnes of food and garden organics have been diverted from landfill in the past year which equates to more than 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide."
A Labor spokeswoman said the council has been included on the list because it has emitted over 25,000 tonnes of direct carbon dioxide emissions each year.
She said large councils that own waste management facilities could be captured in this list due to the emissions from landfill.
The spokeswoman said the current safeguard mechanism covered facilities emitting 100,000 tonnes.
But, under the party's Climate Change Action Plan, the threshold will be progressively lowered to 25,000 tonnes, if it was elected.
"This threshold will bring Australia in line with the coverage of policies in jurisdictions like China and the European Union," she said.
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