Palmerston council waste fees set to increase under Darwin decision

The cost of dumping waste in Darwin’s only licenced tip has sparked a battle between two Top End councils. Here’s why it’s likely to cost more for Palmerston residents.

Kerbside rubbish collection fees are set to jump more than 30 per cent in the City of Palmerston, but not because of the local council’s own decision.

Palmerston residents are poised to pay 30 per cent more for their weekly bin collections, but not if their local council has its way.

The City of Palmerston is fighting against a proposed fee increase at Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility.

The rubbish tip, run by Darwin council, is the only licenced facility of its kind in the Top End.

All of Palmerston and Litchfield’s non-recyclable waste is disposed of at Shoal Bay at commercial fees.

Palmerston mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell says those fees are set to jump more than 30 per cent in the Darwin council’s draft new budget - expected to cost the council an extra $448,000 in one year.

She said her council had already borne the brunt of a 40 per cent increase over the past five years.

City of Palmerston Mayor Athina Pascoe-Bell has hit at out at Darwin council’s proposed changes to waste disposal fees at Shoal Bay. Photograph: Che Chorley

“We’re going to have to increase our waste charges to ratepayers to accommodate that,” she said.

“We just don’t have enough leeway to absorb that 30 per cent increase.”

Ms Pascoe-Bell said the 1500-odd Palmerston businesses would be impacted as well, as the council does not do a commercial pick-up service.

She also voiced concerns an additional charge for rubbish contaminated with green waste left her council with no time to prepare for the change.

“That is set to increase by $75 a tonne to a total $190 per tonne,” she said.

“Each household generates about a tonne of rubbish each year and I suspect most households dispose of their lawn clippings and things like that in their red bins.

“So it’s quite a significant increase.

“We don’t have time to consider green waste bins or any other alternative.

“I think it’s completely unfair and the City of Darwin hasn’t provided details about why they’re doing it.”

Darwin mayor Kon Vatskalis said the council had spent about $20m in the last year maintaining the Shoal Bay Waste Management Facility. Picture: Che Chorley

However, Darwin Mayor Kon Vatskalis defended the proposed increases and said they were needed to cover significant investment in the facility.

“The issue we’ve got now is the EPA (Environmental Protection Authority) has a lot of requests and demands to upgrade Shoal Bay, so it doesn’t pose a threat to the environment,” he said.

“About $20m was covered by the City of Darwin over the last year to bring it up to standard and to operate efficiently.

“We had to borrow money to rectify the tip - paid enormous money and recovered very little.

“So I don’t think the new charges are onerous.

“If it is used by more than one council, why should only one council have to pay for it?”

The hiked-up fees are required t meet new environmental upgrades and demands, according to Mr Vatskalis. Picture: Che Chorley

A new $13.2m leachate treatment plant opened at Shoal Bay late last year, while the council is spending $280,000 in capital works on the facility in its upcoming budget.

A spokeswoman said Darwin council had invested more than $40m into the facility in the last three years.

Mr Vatskalis said the City of Darwin had coughed up those costs over several years but had “reached the end of the road”.

Darwin ratepayers’ kerbside waste fees are also set to jump 7 per cent - 42 cents per week - to help meet margins.

Both mayors agreed Shoal Bay should be jointly or independently managed.

However, Mr Vatskalis said there was “no appetite” by the government to step in and facilitate that.

Ms Pascoe-Bell also said it was time the government “did a bit more work” in establishing a joint facility.

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