Mildura three bin policy: Councillors say weekly green organic waste reducing tip costs

Cloth nappy rebates are among the suggestions on the table as a Victorian council reviews its decision to stop its weekly general rubbish collection.

Mildura has weekly green organic bin collection and fortnightly red general waste. A yellow recycling bin is picked up on the alternate fortnight. Picture: Michael DiFabrizio

Mildura Rural City Council will review its move to make general waste collection fortnightly, but rising tip costs could be the reason it’s a permanent switch.

The council made the change last July as it introduced a weekly green organic waste collection.

Red bin general waste and yellow bin recycling have since been collected on alternating fortnights.

Residents have complained about full bins and the smell of nappies after two weeks, although one-third of respondents to a poll by The Mildura News said the new system was working well.

Mildura Mayor Jason Modica said the council was aware there had been a lot of feedback.

Cr Modica said the new system had been implemented after a trial in Merbein returned an approval rating of 86 per cent among residents.

But he said the intention was always to review how things were working after 12 months.

“We put that in to go into place for one year and be reviewed,” he said.

“The positives are there’s been a huge amount of waste diverted from landfill.”

Council data indicated the organic bins were taking in about 48 per cent of all kerbside rubbish since the change, while landfill was down to 28 per cent.

The move was also intended to get ahead of rural municipal landfill levy rise.

Charges by the Victorian Government’s Environment Protection Authority were set to increase from $33 a tonne this financial year to $63 in two years’ time.

The costs of sending general waste to Mildura Landfill are set to increase. Picture: Michael DiFabrizio

Councillor Jodi Reynolds said it wasn’t until she was elected and went through the issues with council staff that she realised the challenges.

“We’ve got a tip site there that has a certain lifespan,” Cr Reynolds said.

“Then we’ve got charges from (the EPA) that are going to double in the next two years for every tonne of waste we send to that tip — those charges are going to be transferred to the people that are using that system.

“The fact we are taking green waste away from that tip … is actually saving people money in the long run.”

But councillor Glenn Milne said the accumulation of general waste during hot summer periods was an issue.

Cr Milne said he was “very open” to reinstating weekly collection.

“I’m always concerned about the cost, but are there things that we, being the community, would find an acceptable cost and (could we) save some costs on something else?” he said.

“There’s certain things that the community really wants and there are other things that are just luxuries.”

General waste bins, collected fortnightly, are the smallest of Mildura Rural City Council's three kerbside collection bins.

Deputy Mayor Helen Healy said the eventual rehabilitation of the landfill site would cost millions.

Cr Healy said the issues being faced by residents needed to be looked at individually, suggesting a cloth nappy rebate.

“Most people have been absolutely fantastic, but I do acknowledge some people find it very difficult over summer,” she said.

“I think we can be a bit creative in respect.

“I personally think there’s no turning back but we do need to consider individual cases of hardship.”

Councillor Stefano de Pieri said the hike in landfill charges was going to cost “many hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably in the millions”.

Cr de Pieri said while he was still learning about the issues, he was alarmed at a chart showing the increase in costs.

“I was frightened when I saw it,” he said.