Darwin tip price increase ‘not fair’: Territory Mowing & Bush Landscaping director Mandy Carmichael
A small Top End landscaping business has called for ‘fairer’ pricing when having to dump green waste at the Shoal Bay tip.
Northern Territory
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A SMALL Top End landscaper has called for “fairer” pricing for businesses dumping green waste at the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility (SBWMF).
The plea comes after the City of Darwin reinstated the minimum fee for commercial green waste at the tip, meaning commercial users of the facility will pay a $35 per load flat rate, rather than the previous model of charging per kilo.
Darwin gardening service, Grasschopper NT, owner Richard Osborne said — as an example — a ute tray load of green waste that used to cost him only $12 to $15, would now would set him back a flat rate of $35 regardless of the weight or size.
The changes have also angered Territory Mowing & Bush Landscaping director Mandy Carmichael, who says one of the main frustrations regarding the sudden hike was the “lack of communication”.
Just before the new pricing regimen came into effect on July 1, Ms Carmichael said she locked in a large, long term contract with the NT government but had not been informed by the council about the soon-to-be price jump at the dump.
“We put a price in at the start of the contract and we’ve had several price increases since we’ve had it, so we can’t go to the government and say give us more money,” Ms Carmichael said.
“It’s just so unfair. It’s just wrong. They (City of Darwin) don’t inform contractors and they don’t give us a heads-up on what is happening.”
Ms Carmichael raised the question of why businesses should be charged high prices for dumping green waste when the council would profit when it was sold back to the community as mulch.
“Why should we be charged to dump green waste when they mulch it and sell it at the tip, why do we have to pay?” she said.
However, a City of Darwin spokeswoman said a contract was in place with an on-site service provider for the processing of green waste at the Shoal Bay tip.
“We charge a $35 minimum fee to commercial contractors – which was waived throughout the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic - when they dispose of green waste at SBWMF,” the spokeswoman said.
“The fee is used to cover the cost of operations of the weighbridge as well as to pay the on-site service provider who processes the green waste into mulch and sells it to the public. City of Darwin does not profit from the sale of mulch at SBWMF.”
The spokeswoman said community consultation was conducted earlier in the year and communication of the new changes were announced via social media, advertising in traditional media, the City of Darwin website, media interviews and engagement activities in the community.
“This consultation included verbal briefings and distribution of printed materials to commercial contractors at SBWMF, whereby City of Darwin advised of changes to fees and charges and sought feedback on the Municipal Plan,” she said.
Ms Carmichael could not give an exact figure but estimated the change in the dumping fees would have “almost doubled in price” for her business.
“We can’t let it impact us, we still have to continue, we still have to buy fuel, pay insurance, we have to keep doing what we normally do, it will just be a drain – we’ve always got a credit card,” she said.
With the introduction of the price hike, Ms Carmichael said she was concerned it might encourage illegal dumping and said she worried for even smaller operations than her business of eight employees.
“That must be so hard for them. It’s hard for us but imagine the little people,” she said.
Father and son gardening business duo stung with seismic green waste costs
A GREEN waste disposal price hike could hurt small businesses or lead to illegal dumping, according to the owner of a Darwin gardening service.
Grasschopper NT owner Richard Osborne called out City of Darwin’s sharp green waste disposal price increase for smaller operators dumping at the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility.
From 2020 to the end of the 2022 financial year, the minimum fee for commercial green waste disposal at Shoal Bay was waived, meaning businesses were charged for the weight of their load only.
But since the start of the new financial year, new hefty dumping fees came into effect.
Mr Osborne said a ute tray load of green waste that used to cost him only $12 to $15, now would sting him a flat rate of $35 regardless of the weight or size.
“Times are tough. This is a massive increase. It’s going to really hurt the small operators and it’s unfair,” he said.
Mr Osborne said he had considered increasing his rates but feared the small business would miss out on or lose customers. He charges $70 per hour for his gardening services. “During the wet season I could dump twice a day and at times that could be $12 to $15 each and so in the worst case scenario it was $30 a day,” Mr Osborne said. “But now it’s going to cost me $70 for the day.” He feared the price increase would tempt other operators to illegally dump their waste, posing an environmental and fire hazard.
He said City of Darwin had assumed all commercial users of the green waste dumping facility at the Shoal Bay dump were large-scale operators.
“If you’re a big operation, its not going to affect you too much but for a smaller operator its going to really hurt,” Mr Osborne said.
Mr Osborne submitted his feedback to the City of Darwin through the consultation process but said he “didn’t hear anything back”. “I won’t illegally dump it, there’s no way on earth and that’s simply through principle but what we’re going to have to look to do is load the waste so high that it becomes a safety issue,” he said. “I understand the council has costs too but it’s got to be fair.”
A City of Darwin spokesman said council had a responsibility to ratepayers to ensure the continued delivery of services underpinned by equitable fees and charges. “Now that we are in the post Covid-19 era, City of Darwin has reinstated the minimum fee for commercial green waste and Shoal Bay, which will be $35 per load in 2022-23. This represents an increase of $7 across a three-year period,” the spokesman said.
City of Darwin did not comment on whether there was scope for smaller operators to be subject to a decrease in charges.
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