City in clear over waste

Candidates seek inquiry

GEELONG council has reassured residents about its waste management after disturbing reports about rogue operators in the sector.

The council said its kerbside recycling service, overseen by contractor SKM, was sorting and selling various commodities to companies in Australia and overseas.

It defended its record following a Four Corners report that lifted the lid on unscrupulous elements of Australia’s waste industry.

The ABC program did not contain any specific allegations about Geelong’s practices.

However, council candidates have pledged to launch an internal investigation into the council’s waste management if they are elected.

City services acting director Peter Godfrey said the allowed items being placed in local bins were being recycled.

These include: PAPER and cardboard. GLASS — container glass is separated into different colours, then broken up ready for use by Australian manufacturers such as Oi and Arora. Some of the product is refined and sold off as glass sands to various local markets. METALS — aluminium and steel are sold off to smelters overseas. PLASTICS are generally separated into specific product types and traded for re-use.

“We really want to stress how important recycling is,” Mr Godfrey said.

“We have had a huge response to our recent recycling campaign and the results of our recent bin audits show more people are putting their waste in the right bins.”

Socialist Alliance council candidates Sue Bull and Sarah Hathway said the ABC’s revelations sparked the need for a local inquiry.

The duo, who are running in the central Brownbill ward, want to see some transparency around the City of Greater Geelong’s arrangements.

“Local council, in fact all levels of government, have a responsibility to the next generation and need to deal with this problem now,” Ms Hathway said.

Ms Bull, a health and safety teacher, said the unscrupulous practices seen in the industry were a failure of every level of government.