Dubbo Regional Council waste facilities will transition to cashless payments from July

An increase in crime has prompted a council in the state’s central west to transition to cashless payments to their waste facilities. Here’s the latest.

A central west council’s waste facilities will be going cashless in an effort to increase staff efficiency and reduce property damage.

Dubbo Regional Council will introduce cashless payments from July 1 to all waste facilities, including Whylandra Waste and Recycling Facility, Wellington Waste Transfer Station and the transfer stations at Stuart Town, Geurie, Ballimore, Eumungerie and Toongi.

Resource recovery and efficiency manager Jamie Lobb said the controversial change in payment would be introduced following $470,000 of damage via break and enters over the 12 months from December 2022 to December 2023.

“It is expected that the change to a cashless operation will save council money by reducing the repairs required to damaged infrastructure through break ins for potential cash onsite and reducing insurance claims which in turn impacts insurance premiums,” Mr Lobb said.

Additionally, he said the bank which serviced Wellington closed last year so staff would have to travel to Dubbo twice a week to progress payments.

Resource recovery and efficiency manager Jamie Lobb Photo: Dubbo Regional Council.

“There is also a considerable amount of staff time that would be saved on banking trips to Dubbo due to Wellington no longer having a bank,” he said.

“This would allow better utilisation of staff time at each facility.

“At present, approximately one per cent of all transactions at council’s waste facilities use cash.”

Whylandra Waste Facility. Photo: Dubbo Regional Council.

He said the move would enhance customer experience through quicker transactions at the entry to the facilities.

Residents can still dispose of a number of recyclable items that are segregated on delivery free of charge at both Whylandra and Wellington waste facilities.

Some of these items include car batteries, old TVs and domestic e-waste, gas bottles, polystyrene, scrap metal and degassed whitegoods.

Council said all cards would be accepted, and there will be no additional merchant charges.