Tip vouchers on the cards for Mount Barker residents under new waste management plan
Mount Barker Council has revealed plans to overhaul its waste management after pleas by the community to provide more free services to residents.
Adelaide Hills
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Mount Barker Council is looking for new ways to manage waste which could include the introduction of tip vouchers and more public recycling facilities.
Community Services manager Greg Parker said the council was reviewing its waste to resources plan, which is expected to be tabled at the March council meeting.
The proposal will look at improving ways to manage Mount Barker’s growing waste crisis, with a lack of free services blamed for the region’s increase in illegal dumping.
“Council’s waste to resources plan has an action to review our waste collection, recovery and disposal services to look to expand and introduce increased flexibility with a focus on organic collection and increasing public place recycling,” Mr Parker said.
“We will also assess opportunities for cost effective expansion of collection or drop off services for difficult, bulky or hazardous household wastes.
“There are also specific opportunities to improve kerbside collection outcomes. Tip vouchers are one option for larger items.”
Due to cost restraints, Mr Parker said the review would not include hard rubbish collection, despite a renewed push by the community for the service.
“(The) council is not opposed to hard rubbish collection. It is a costly exercise which requires funding and logistics, and won’t necessarily eliminate illegal dumping,” he said.
“Certainly, a part of the community is interested in a hard rubbish collection but the council’s aspiration is a zero waste region so any new service would need to produce a better net result than current.”
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Councillor Bradley Orr, who has strongly supported improved waste facilities, said the review was a step in the right direction and would be welcomed by the community.
However, he said the council not including hard rubbish collection in the review would be a difficult one to explain.
“There is resistance by (the council) but this is certainly a needed service that residents have been calling for,” he said.
“I think part of the issue is that council doesn’t want to put more rates pressure on residents but I believe there’s an affordable solution out there, we just got to find it.
“So if anyone in the community has any ideas, I encourage them to get in touch.”