Dirty & dangerous: Delegate bin enclosure closed

The bin enclosure at the Delegate Transfer Station has been closed to the public following the discovery on the weekend of used syringes scattered across the ground at the facility.

Staff servicing the bins made the discovery on Saturday 10 July 2021. This incident marks the most recent in a long-running series at the facility that jeopardise the health and safety of staff, the community and the local environment.

The facility has long been misused. Not even considering biohazardous waste, Council employees regularly spend hours cleaning carelessly discarded garbage strewn all over the ground and outside the gates of the facility. The additional clean-up is estimated to cost ratepayers an extra $9000 a year, just at this small Delegate facility, which is very disappointing.

To compensate for the temporary closure of the bin enclosure, Council will be extending the operating hours of the Delegate Transfer Station:

Tuesday8am – 12pm Saturday9am – 1.30pm

Council apologises to the Delegate community for the sudden closure. Unfortunately the poor behaviour of a minority of users has forced this decision, but the health and safety of the community must be protected.

It is important to note that this bin enclosure is a legacy facility provided at no fee to the community, and that while it may appear similar to the new Bank of Bins installations currently rolling out across the Snowy Monaro, the two are fundamentally different.

Bin enclosures are open to anyone, unstaffed, unmonitored, and are regularly misused.

Banks of Bins are locked and secured, with access granted by key to those who opt-in and pay to use the service. Every aspect of a Bank of Bins, from the location to the design to the construction materials, means that these newer facilities do not get misused in the same way – or at anywhere near the same rate – as the older facilities such as is seen in Delegate.

Anyone with questions or concerns about these changes, or information about this incident, is encouraged to contact Council on 1300 345 345 or [email protected]