The story of Mobile Waste Education Unit - “KERBY”

LAWMAC’s Mobile Education Unit “KERBY” operated between 2001 & 2006 visiting schools, libraries and council events whilst also coordinating visits within the Show Circuit from Sarina up to Cooktown and also visiting its north-western member councils of Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Etheridge etc

LAWMAC Chair (1998 - 2008) & Deputy Mayor of Douglas Shire Council, Cr Dave Egan originally purchased the Bus from Brisbane City Council and with his Team comprising LAWMAC Founding Member of Rossko Award fame Cr Ross Overton (pre-amalgamated Johnstone Shire Council), LAWMAC Member Cr Greg Thomsen (Mackay Council) Mr Manny Manatakis (Beverage Industry Education Council - now Australian Food & Grocery Council) plus Mr Frank Phillips (then with Visy) they undertook a trip to Brisbane for handover of the bus and transfer to graphic designers Hot Concepts and Coachworks Pty Ltd for a full overhaul of the design, plan and fit-out of its interior and exterior.

Upon completion of the works and with the assistance of Envirocom Australia in developing a suitable education program KERBY was released “On Tour” with LAWMAC Member-Councillors & Waste Managers coordinating an ongoing itinerary for driving the bus between visits and managing it on-site.

Sadly, after six years of taking its waste education message to schools and the communities, Kerby experienced a major breakdown down south of Cairns around 2008 and due to the huge changes with amalgamations and the impacts of the GFC could not be saved to further continue its Tour of Duty.

The whole project including the partly progressed Mark II unit “Act for the Future with Professor Dave” was unfortunately abandoned. Kerby was towed to the Cairns Waste Management Facility to continue life as recycled scrap metal and the Mark II project never progressed beyond the planning stage.

Fortunately LAWMAC is again considering developing and operating another Mobile Waste Education Unit in the form of a Trailer to travel across the northern and central areas of LAWMAC’s Queensland region to take the message of Resource Recovery & Zero Waste by 2050 to schools and the Community again in 2023 and beyond with NO TIME TO WASTE!