Merrimac will get a new green waste pad after councillors fight to retain frontline assets

Gold Coast residents will have a central tip saved from closure but it will cost ratepayers between four and five million dollars to search for a new site.

Gold Coast residents will have a central tip saved from closure but it will cost ratepayers between four and five million dollars with a search on for a new site.

City officers had recommended shutting down the Merrimac green waste pad because it would have prevented expansion of a much-needed water treatment plant to service new suburbs like Skyridge in the hinterland.

In a compromise move, a new site will be found for the green pad after an upsurge in use by residents dumping green waste following Cyclone Alfred. Funding will need to be approved in budget talks and finding the right location might take months.

A Bulletin report earlier this month detailed how the $350 million Merrimac waste treatment plant upgrade to service the booming hinterland population could be delayed, with Councillor Glenn Tozer warning it would cost ratepayers millions of dollars.

Hinterland councillor Glenn Tozer concerned that the upgrade of the Merrimac wastewater treatment plant will be delayed.

Mr Tozer called for an updated report where councillors later agreed to a solution.

He said the problem was created by two competing projects which use the same piece of land.

“The Merrimac green waste pad is occupying a site we have already provisioned for the sewer augmentation project — that’s about a $350 million project hoping to grow the capacity of our sewerage treatment plants that serve Mermaid Beach, Merrimac, Worongary and even Mermaid Waters,’ he said.

“That project needs to go ahead. But it can’t go ahead if we retain the green waste pad where it is right now.

“What we are proposing to do is deliver that green waste pad as soon as we can in a new location in Merrimac while making sure we don’t delay the sewer augmentation process which helps everyone’s waste to go to the right place.”

Mr Tozer confirmed the cost of the new green pad would be at least $4 million.

“There is a bit of a dispute as to where and how many of those green pads we need, but after ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, we’ve definitely seen a significant need in that catchment for a green waste pad,” he said.

“Now we have the officers on board to deliver that, and frankly that’s probably to the credit of Councillor (Dan) Doran and Councillor (Bob) La Castra who held the line the whole way and made sure that green waste pad was a high priority.”

Councillors debating the possible introduction of tip fees last month rejected a recommendation by officers to close the pad to cut costs, which had operated for seven years.

Mr Tozer has asked for an urgent update because it will impact on sewerage services from Carrara in the north through to Robina and Reedy Creek in the south.

The sewer upgrade is a City big ticket infrastructure item needed for new 324ha Skyridge estate which will be home to 10,000 new residents – all in Mr Tozer’s division.

The Merrimac Wastewater Treatment which is undergoing a major upgrade by the Gold Coast City Council.

Councillor sources suggested plant delays would cost ratepayers millions of dollars.

Councillor Dan Doran said it was wrong to suggest that waste recycling centre at any stage would have been delayed.

“It’s right to say that I am fighting to maintain a permanent green organics pad at the Merrimac Waste Recycling Centre,” he said.

“It’s wrong to say that his advocacy risks a delay to the waste treatment plant upgrade. City officers have put forward options that keeps a permanent green organics pad at Merrimac without delaying the waste treatment plant upgrade.”

Councillor Dan Doran — fighting to keep frontline services for ratepayers.

Mr Doran had argued that removing the green waste service would be a “weakening of frontline services for the many households in Robina that use the facility each week”.

He said the Merrimac WRC on a weekend day after Cyclone Alfred serviced 1870 customers.

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