NT town joins the age of recycling
Residents in the Territory’s second biggest town will soon be able to recycle their household waste for the first time.
Katherine council has announced a six-month trial of a recycling pick-up service, which will reach about 250 households in the town’s east.
Previously the bulk of the town’s recyclables have been sent to landfill.
Mayor Lis Clark said she hoped ratepayers would get on board with the trial as Katherine’s tip was quickly filling up.
“We’re hoping to educate the community on recycling and gather data on the impact of this to help future recycling initiatives and funding,” Ms Clark said.
“This will divert waste going to our landfill.”
She said the tip was expected to be full within 10 years, at which point another site would be developed.
However, a successful recycling trial and expansion to the town’s 2900-odd households could extend the landfill’s lifespan.
The federal and Territory governments announced in February 2022 they would fund a $7.2m new “materials recovery facility” in Katherine.
The first stage was to include a feasibility study and community consultation, the former of which was completed in March this year.
The recycling trial, starting June 21, will service Gregory Court, Patterson Court, Cyprus St, Casuarina St, Cormack St, Bradshaw Crescent, Hamdorf St, Inskip Crescent and Stacey Rd.
Bins will be delivered in early June before the recycling is trucked up to Darwin’s Shoal Bay waste management facility.
The trial is set to cost council $30,000 but ratepayers will not pay any extra fees.
It comes after the Darwin city council increased the waste fees at the Top End’s only licensed tip, sparking a battle with its Palmerston counterpart.