Three transfer stations at risk

Yabba resident Donna Wood attended a council-organised meeting in Yabba on August 31, but was not pleased with what was proposed.

She said the changes would disproportionately affect the elderly, who would likely have to load their kerbside bins into a car and take them to a collection point.

“It’s an elderly demographic community and a lot of them can’t lift the bins into the back of cars and utes,” Ms Wood said.

“The Yabba tip is an awesome place for us to take our rubbish ... everything’s clear and neat, labelled, and it makes it so easy for people to drop off their rubbish.”

She said when the tip was closed during COVID-19 restrictions, bins left on the sides of the road were vandalised and damaged, adding the same thing would be likely to happen if a household bin and collection point system was introduced in Yabba.

“They were telling us that it (the existing tip) was too expensive and not sustainable ... there were no solutions,” she said.

Sustainable Communities acting director Rosanne Kava said significant infrastructure upgrades and capital works were needed across the three transfer stations to bring them up to best practice.

“A 2020 study on council transfer stations projected the estimated costs at $300,000 per site for upgrading the three sites proposed for closure,” Ms Kava said.

“This includes stormwater upgrades as well as the construction of new infrastructure to manage glass, food waste, e-waste, batteries, gas cylinders and tyres.

“Noting the low attendance at these sites, coupled with the significant investment required in upgrading them, continued operation of these sites would further exacerbate these costs.”

She acknowledged illegal dumping does occur across the shire and said it would likely continue regardless of any site closures and is largely behaviourally driven.

Ms Kava said council had been working with potentially affected communities and taking feedback by phone, email, mail, online and by drop in feedback sessions; she said they had already received a wide range of views.

“We have also been in discussions with the kerbside waste provider to investigate the potential for an expansion of service boundaries in some areas to aid in community transition,” she said.

If the closures do go ahead, the transfer stations would likely close in early 2023 which would be immediately followed by works to rehabilitate the sites.

The Moira Shire Council website is open to feedback, comments and suggestions on the closures until Friday, September 30.