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GLOUCESTER residents will have to pay to use the tip from now on (October 1).
From October 1, Gloucester Shire Council will charge people to dump at the landfill on Thunderbolts Way.
“Council is keen to ensure that residents start sorting the waste material they take to the landfill in order to minimise the charges they and council will have to pay,” council’s manager of Planning and Environment Graham Gardner said.
The shire is battling to make waste levy payments to the NSW government.
The payments are currently costing council and ratepayers $65.40 for every tonne of waste dumped at the landfill.
“Last year council paid more than $300,000 to the State government in waste levy and much of that cost was calculated on the deemed weight of material based on the vehicle dropping off the waste,” Mr Gardner said.
“For example a 10-tonne truck with one tonne of material paid a levy for 10 tonnes of material.
“To address this problem a weighbridge has now been installed to enable all material going to landfill to be accurately weighed.
“Significant savings in levy payments will be made from year one of operations.”
The introduction of tip fees has already drawn the ire of several councillors, including new deputy mayor Katheryn Smith who claimed it was “double dipping”.
All ratepayers in the shire already pay a waste management charge of $92.40, while urban households also pay a domestic waste management charge of $509.
Ratepayers with a red bin pay $187 per annum while those with yellow and green bins pay an additional $175 per bin.
Council says the majority of items dumped at the tip will still be free of charge, if they are properly sorted.
“Council will not charge any fees for material that is able to go into recycling at the landfill including green waste,” Mr Gardener said.
“New collection arrangements for a whole range of recycled products have been constructed in the general upgrade of the landfill.
“If residents sort their waste they will only be charged for the material that will go direct to the landfill.
“Residents dropping small amounts of waste will be asked to place the material in bulk bins rather than take the material direct to the tip face.
“This has the double benefit of making a trip to the tip much simpler, safer, and a clean and easy exercise. Access to the bulk bins will be on all tar sealed roads.”
Tip users that do not sort their waste can expect to pay $40 to dump a small trailer or ute-load of waste while a boot-load or full garbage bin will cost $20.
There will be no charge for materials including green waste, plastics, glass, cardboard or paper, paint, gas bottles, motor or vegetable oils, batteries, scrap metal, e-waste and mobile phones or fluorescent lights.