Waste fees and charges reintroduced to tackle excessive landfill

The waiving of non-regulatory waste fees and charges introduced late last month under Council’s COVID19 Community Care Package was suspended at last night’s Ordinary Meeting due a tripling of waste to landfill since the package announcement.  Councillors voted unanimously to reverse the part of their decision that provided for fee free general waste disposal at Davis Road Waste Management Facility until 30 June 2020, saying the Shire needed to ensure environmental and financial sustainability.  Acting Director Sustainable Development and Infrastructure Services Nick Logan said the immediate reintroduction of the user-pay waste system would be ultimately fairer and more equitable for the broader community.  “The waiving of non-regulatory wastes fees and charges was in recognition of the financial hardship being experienced by community members whose incomes were impacted by the current health pandemic,” he said.  “It most instances this is working well and it hasn’t resulted in a great deal of the user variance, but in terms of waste service the usage rates grew rapidly and was clearly going to cause too many negative impacts for the wider community.  “The landfill was at risk of reaching capacity much sooner than projected and with additional waste management costs then having to be passed on to all ratepayers.  “Waste is an essential service and it is imperative this facility remains available for residents in our community. “  Shire residents that are in possession of a valid concession card will still be able to dispose of up to 1 cubic metre of residential waste per day free of charge. Please contact the Shire’s Waste Services Team if you would like to seek clarification to the changes or to discuss individual waste service requirements.