Savings on waste

CASSOWARY Coast ratepayers are expected to save about $50,000 a year with new changes at council transfer stations.

Cassowary Coast Regional Council currently operates seven transfer stations and two landfills across the region and the operation of the sites is currently delivered through contractors.

The contracts expire on July 31 when the council is to start an inhouse day labour system for the operation of the waste management.

At Thursday’s local government meeting the council’s business opportunities and improvement lead, Daniel Bradford, made a number of recommendations to change operating hours of each station to create “efficiencies”.

They included operating the Cardwell and Bells Creek stations as self-serve only.

But he suggested closing the Hull Heads and Murray Upper stations.

In his report Mr Bradford said the Hull Heads and Murray Upper facilities only had limited use and were costing $1719 and $3082 per tonne of waste, respectively.

However division 1 and 2 councillors Barry Barnes and Teresa Millwood opposed shutting down the two southern dumps.

“I have a list of 25 householders that will be requiring roadside pick up, as they don’t currently have council bins if things change,” Cr Barnes said.

“These smaller tips show their worth during natural disasters.”

Cr Millwood created a new recommendation suggesting the two sites be given a lifeline through a trial phase.

“I would like to reject the (original) recommendation on the grounds that I think we have a community obligation in respect of the operational hours,” she said.

“I would like to move the motion that Tully Heads and Murray Upper sites are operated, for a fourhour period once a week on a trial basis for 12 months.”