Council forced to spend $140,000 on temporary weighbridge as Nanango and Wondai face delays

A dump deadline is looming that will force South Burnett landfill sites to close, with a temporary weighbridge solution in the works to the tune of $210k.

South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff outside the Murgon Waste Facility.

A dump deadline is looming that will force landfill sites to close without a temporary weighbridge solution that is in the works.

The installation of weighbridges at Nanango and Wondai landfills has been delayed by four to six weeks, forcing the council to set up a temporary weighbridge at the Murgon landfill.

They have until July 1 to make the weighbridges operational or the landfills can’t be used.

To address this, the council held a special meeting and approved $210,000 to cover costs of a temporary weighbridge at Murgon and transport waste from Nanango and Wondai.

“We need to fast-track an arrangement where we purchase a temporary weighbridge and install it up in Murgon as soon as we can so we can continue to operate the landfill,” a council officer stated.

“They are close but will probably not be ready for the first of July at the moment.”

Council members were presented with three options for the Murgon weigh bridge:

Purchase outright for $142,515.

Lease over a 30-month period for $244,060.

Lease until the next financial year and then purchase outright for $149,215.

Weighbridge generic.

Deputy Mayor Denita Potter expressed frustration over the financial burden imposed by the state government’s mandate.

“I must say thank you to the state government for making us do this. It’s wonderful that we get to spend money because they told us we had to,” she said with a note of sarcasm.

The council officer noted that buying the weighbridge outright could provide future flexibility, either by relocating it after Murgon closes or selling it to recover some costs.

Councillor Ros Heit questioned why the issue was being addressed so close to the deadline.

“How long have we known about July the 1st and why are we only talking about this in June?” she asked.

Acting general manager Leanne Petersen said the need for weighbridges at Nanango and Wondai were identified 18 months ago, but staffing issues slowed progress.

“It does take time to procure weighbridges. They are progressing well, but we just aren’t going to meet that time frame,” she said.

Councillor Heath Sander and Mayor Kathy Duff voiced concerns about the increased waste volume and noise from trucks at the Murgon facility.

South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff at the Murgon Waste Facility.

Ms Duff highlighted the nearby Barambah Bush Caravan Park worries about the heightened activity.

Ms Petersen said that Kingaroy had reached capacity, making Murgon the only viable option.

Councillor Jane Erkens expressed frustration over the late timing of the decision.

“My concern is we seem to be quite often having these decisions come in where we have to make a decision straight away,” Ms Erkens said.

“I just don’t think we need to be put under that sort of pressure. I feel pushed into a decision and not really researching and not really knowing what we’re doing,” she said.

CEO Mark Pitt defended the council’s efforts, explaining delays were unavoidable due to the time required for concrete to cure.

“Have we been inefficient? Have we been unorganised? No, we are not,” he said.

Mr Pitt emphasised the July 1 deadline set by the department was firm, estimating a four to six-week delay for Wondai and Nanango.

He also said businesses in Murgon would benefit from the weighbridge, as they would be charged by weight rather than volume.

The council unanimously voted to allocate $210,000 from the Capital Works Program for waste management, although the final decision on which option to choose remains pending, with indications the cheapest option might be favoured.