Garbage services decrease $24

The average ratepayer will save $24 on garbage collection this year.

After two consecutive years of increased waste service charges, Baw Baw Shire has opted to adopt a waste charge restructure.

However, Cr Annemarie McCabe likened it to a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Waste charges will net council $12.1 million income for the year.

However, reduced charges for ratepayers will come at a price for council’s bottom line - expected to equate to roughly $1 million per year.

“That now needs to be picked up by the general ratepayer,” Cr McCabe said.

Ultimately, council predicts this will reduce capital spending, provision of services or a combination of the two.

It follows Minister for Local Government Melissa Horne announcing in December that council could no longer fund services such as public waste collection, street cleaning and graffiti removal by individual ratepayer charges.

This change will result in the residential waste charge drop from $488 to $464.

Commercial garbage rates will drop from $531 to $504 for a 120 litre bin or $630 to $599 for a 240 litre bin.

Garbage services in Tanjil Bren and Walhalla traditionally attract lower charges.

Tanjil Bren residents will pay $144 for collection, down from $152, and Walhalla residents $223, down from $234.

In terms of the rising cost of living, chief executive officer Mark Dupe said the reduced charges would be welcomed by ratepayers.

Had they opted to wait until it became mandatory next year, he predicted council would have faced a lot of questions.

However, money to provide services which broadly benefit the shire, still need to be met.

Mr Dupe signalled a range of services which council believe should be funded by the state government would be “under scrutiny” over the next few years. He used school crossing supervisors as an example.