Inside story on Coast’s biggest political stink as councillors vote on rubbish tip charges

Gold Coasters will find out on Tuesday next week if rubbish tip fees are to be introduced. As ratepayers, you need to know how it hurts your wallet. SEE THE DETAILS

There was a long line of cars at the entrance of Molendinar Waste and Recycling Centre today ahead of Council's decision to start charging fees for entry. 19 June 2022 Molendinar Picture by Richard Gosling

We will find out on Tuesday next week if rubbish tip fees are introduced on the Gold Coast.

As ratepayers, you need to know how it hurts your wallet - in a rate notice or at the tip gate.

At least three options are on the table. The first is to introduce gate fees.

An amount has not been discussed but Brisbane residents pay about $15 a tip visit.

The majority get in for free by presenting vouchers. Councillors like this second option.

The other way forward is increasing the waste utility charge in your rates notice. Financial modelling shows it will start at $50 next year and climb to more than $100 in three years.

City officers are opposed. All ratepayers will be hit, including those who are recycling.

They also caution that a voucher system is clumsy at the tip gate, and costly to set up.

So what is driving all of these changes, which include closing smaller rubbish dumps?

Gold Coast City councillors will vote on rubbish tip gate fees. They are divided, and early debate went for almost five hours.

Hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer says the key driver was “not operational activity or council asset management but is actually a (waste) levy imposed by the State over the coming year”.

At its simplest - and officers back this up - council is not stuffing up the running of tips. Management wants efficiencies to reduce costs. Hence, suggesting smaller tips close.

Their lengthy investigation and report spells out that this is “not revenue raising”.

Your columnist has learned that City Waste operates as a commercial business unit (CBU).

Under laws which apply to council, a CBU must apply full cost pricing - charge at the proper amount for services. It must be accountable for its performance and finances.

So waste managers cannot go and ask for a bucket of money as a loan to get out of the poo.

Entrance to the Molendinar Waste and Recycling Centre. Picture by Richard Gosling.

They know that by charging fees at the gates, customers poor with recycling will rethink.

That’s the economics of the debate. Now for the politics, which is not sweet smelling either.

The Gold Coast has a line in the sand moment here to make a decision fair to all ratepayers.

The City cannot sell its decision on future waste recycling if councillors remain divided.

Mayor Tom Tate was absent at the committee vote and what position he reaches on the options will be critical. City Planning chair Mark Hammel, also away, is understood to support waste committee chair Shelley Curtis, who backs officers on a fairer user pay system.

Some councillors are worried that tip fees will lead to illegal rubbish dumping.

A council insider says several councillors made election promises not to introduce tip fees. Remember, former Redlands Mayor Karen Williams in 2012 won on scrapping gate fees?

“That’s why this issue is so red hot. The introduction of the tip tax will frame the next local government election on the Gold Coast,” my source said.

“It might be the first gap in armour for councillors leading up to 2028. It becomes a lightning rod for ratepayer discontent.”

So there you have it - this issue will launch the campaign for any opponent.

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