Residents in the shire’s north are invited to have input into the plans for a new rural waste disposal system proposed to be located at the current temporary waste and recycling drop-off site in Cobargo.
The proposal to redevelop the site as a permanent waste facility for eligible customers follows a Council resolution to find a cost-effective solution for household waste collection.
Waste Strategy Coordinator, Tim Cook, said the first step is to talk about the plans with the community.
“We specifically want to talk with rural customers north of Brogo who currently have no waste collection service,” Mr Cook said.
“These customers have been impacted by the closure of the bushfire-destroyed Cobargo Waste Transfer Station and we have been working since then to implement a number of short and long-term solutions.
“The Cobargo site has been operating as a temporary transfer station for eligible residents wanting to drop off the contents of their household bins, but at extremely limited operating hours.
“This has been successful to the point where it is now seen as a viable and cost-effective alternative to building and servicing collection infrastructure such as rural bin banks.
“It’s the proposed change from offering a rural bin bank collection service to a household waste and recycling deposit service in Cobargo that we want to discuss with residents.
“The flexibility to drop off waste and recycling any day of the week appears to be a popular option with those currently using the existing service.
“Another important aspect we want to discuss is the correct way to use a semi-autonomous deposit site. This means with a minimally staffed facility the onus is on the customer to ensure waste is separated from recycling, and that large or hazardous items such as furniture, mattresses, batteries, oils or scrap metal are not left at the site.
“We also need to discuss various fees and charges models to determine if a drop-off service is better value for both customers and Council.
“Residents who don’t have household wheelie bins collected by a contractor, and live north of Alsops Creek Bridge, Brogo, are encouraged to come along to the meeting where our Waste Services team will be there to explain the proposal and answer any questions.”
The meeting will be held at Cobargo Public School, Wandella Road, on Wednesday 15 March from 4pm until 5.30pm. No bookings necessary.
