Council has recently completed a review of waste and resource recovery facilities; looking at operational and resourcing costs, community use, environmental impacts and other options available to users.
The outcome of this review supports Council’s ‘Sustainable MRC’ project, which encompasses a number of services and service level reviews aimed at securing Council’s long-term financial sustainability.
One of the outcomes from this review was that Council will no longer be operating waste ‘drop-off’ sites at Womboota or Bunnaloo. The sites will remain open until close of business Tuesday 30 April 2024, with total closures and removal of the skip bins in effect from May 1.
The following information details what you need to know about this change.
The current situation
Womboota and Bunnaloo drop-off sites are small, unmanned bin stations that were established by Council 15-20 years ago to provide a waste solution for local residents who did not have access to kerbside collections. Whilst a kerbside service now exists in the area (consisting of a weekly waste collection and fortnightly recycle collection within the service area), these unmanned drop-off points are still in place. Womboota and Bunnaloo are the only locations in the council where free drop-off sites are in operation.
Why are the sites closing?
With residents now receiving standard rural waste collection services within the serviced areas, it is no longer equitable that they also have access to free, unmanned drop-off points. Furthermore, as a result of illegal dumping at the site, and the misuse of the bins (putting the wrong thing in the wrong bin) the clean-up and maintenance costs to Council are unsustainable. It is costing Council approximately $10,000 a year in clean-up costs due to the illegal dumping, and a further $25,000 a year at each site in skip bin rental and emptying fees.
Taking this into account, the council formally resolved to close the sites at the October 2023 ordinary meeting of Council (Resolution 151023).
Do Bunnaloo and Womboota rates contribute to the operation of the drop-off sites?
No. Waste services are not a function covered in general rates and are therefore funded separately. Anyone with kerbside collection pays a separate waste disposal charge for the number of bins they have on the property, which is itemised within your rates notice. If you do not have a kerbside collection service at your property, this is not charged on your rates notice.
Because the Womboota and Bunnaloo facilities are not a ‘user-pays’ system, they do not generate an income to service their operation. This means kerbside bin collection customers from right across the Council are technically funding these free drop-off facilities that they do not access.
What are the alternatives once the drop-off sites are closed?
Council’s Waste Facilities at Moama and Mathoura offer more resource recovery and recycling solutions on-site than the current bin stations do, where the different waste streams are separated.
Whilst dropping off general waste at any of Council’s Transfer Stations incurs a fee, there are a number of items that can be taken there for FREE. This includes scrap metal, cardboard, mixed recyclables (such as items that would go in your yellow-lid bins), Ewaste and motor oil.
Moama Waste Management Facility
91 Centre Road, Moama
Open: Mon-Fri: 7am - 3pm, Sat-Sun: 9am - 3pm
Mathoura Waste Transfer Station
27 Clifton Street West, Mathoura
Open: Thur and Sun: 8am - 4pm
A full list of operating hours for all Council’s waste facilities can be found at: www.murrayriver.nsw.gov.au
How will Council stop people dumping rubbish at the sites once they are closed?
Council will install CCTV cameras at both locations. Should illegal dumping occur, people will be identified and pursued and compliance action taken, which could result in fines and court proceedings.
What are the options for rural residents who don’t have kerbside collection?
Residents in a rural or remote area that don’t have access to kerbside collection are not charged for the service. Options may include presenting bins to the nearest point of collection if residents are willing or they can engage their own private waste removal contractor to provide them with a skip bin service. Otherwise, residents can utilise Council’s other waste facilities (Moama and Mathoura being the closest) to drop off their waste or recoverable items during operating hours.
More information
Should you require further details or would like to speak to a member of our Waste Team about your waste disposal options please contact 1300 087 004 during business hours