Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald explains decision behind Millmerran bin station closures as residents react

Residents have exploded over the Toowoomba council’s decision to decommission a small town’s long-running bin station network. Now the mayor has responded:

Toowoomba mayor Geoff McDonald has conceded the council needs to do a better job explaining service changes to ratepayers, after news that a small town would lose a bin station service prompted a public outcry.

Millmerran residents exploded this week after the council voted on June 10 to decommission six skip bin stations that had been used by the public for years.

The change will impact about 900 people, including 200 residents who will now be more than half an hour away from the closest waste management facility.

Millmerran's bin station service will end, with residents needing to take waste to the local waste management facility.

Along with issues around safety relating to illegal dumping at the sites, the council stands to save about $125,000 a year dropping a service that is not available at any other small town.

But the news was not met well by locals, who accused the TRC of dropping the ball on what they considered a core business of council.

Several Chronicle readers argued the decommissioning of the sites would lead to increases in illegal dumping across the Millmerran district, with some even threatening to do it.

Mr McDonald, who is facing increased pressure following news of the council’s 15 per cent increase to rates, charges and levies, backed the decision but believed the organisation could do a better job communicating any changes.

“We’ve seen reactions of areas where, and I guess the Millmerran bins are a living example of this, where reasons to do it weren’t necessarily all about saving dollars as around safety and other reasons, but we need to make sure we do that better with the community,” he said.

Millmerran's bin station service will end, with residents needing to take waste to the local waste management facility. A map of the stations.

“You can see that there’s disappointment as naturally when things are taken away (and) more importantly, if things are taking away (we need to avoid) nothing (being) explained (if) you have another solution.

“The solution in Millmerran of course is that we have a waste facility there that residents can go to — there is 400kg of waste that they can have, any number of times during the year and it’s free to do that.

“Certainly the reasons to do it are very sound, but we need the community to come on board so any change in service delivery certainly needs a lot of care and attention and that’s a good example of what we need to do differently.”

Read some of the reactions from residents below:

Council’s financial priorities slammed

Andrew McIntyre

These are the basics council should be providing and stop refurbishing skate parks, playgrounds and other nice-to-haves until they have surplus funds. I don’t go out and spend money redoing my yard if I don’t have the cash and council should be the same.

Damon Baker

Then next week they will give themselves a pay rise.

Dave Waller

I bet they still have their bin service.

Jan Gavin Buckley

Got to save money somewhere to pay for painting a pub.

Kristine Ruddy

Someone is getting a bonus this year.

Trudy Brudenall

Are council audited? Might be a good idea so all ratepayers know what they spend our rates on.

James Birrell

Instead of getting new equipment all the time maybe they should keep it for 10 years now.

Jacqui McLellan

Perhaps if they didn’t waste money on a bike path that no one will use they could have kept the bins.

Gail Thompson

How about they do the same in Toowoomba. The council needs to stop giving themselves pay rises. Well, I hope they amend the rates then. Small country towns already miss out a lot as it is. We need our own council back and not give it to Toowoomba.

Concerns, threats of illegal dumping issued

Glen Colvin

Just dumping on the side of the road then they’ll pick it up.

Nomar Mahnrub

Dump your bins on the council office footpaths.

Anne Denman

Dump it on the roads … eventually they will come to their senses.

Gail Paterson

Take your bins and deposit them on the council building.

Brent Reeves

Just throw it in the streets, let the mayor collect it lol.

Mal Winton

Dump it on the side of the road. Simple.

Stuart Carter

GOT IT! YOU TAKE THE BINS AWAY, SIMPLE WE THROW RUBBISH INTO THE SCRUB!

John Wilson

Looks like people will be dumping out of town.

Bruce Dicko Dixon-Flint

Council lands will become dumping grounds.

Clare Ninness

This is where rubbish dumped in random places will increase.

Demand for rates reductions

Alyson Mcgregor

Do residents get a discount on rates?

Peter Cremasco

Presumably their rates will be reduced proportionally.

Deb Shaw

I bet they still pay rates!

Johno Morris

Does that mean their rates are going to drop too cos I highly doubt they will

Ted Reif

Hope your rates drop accordingly, I bet it doesn’t

Rhonda Rebecca

So do they not have to pay rates?

John Little

Oh-oh do their rates go down then.

Mick Smoothy

Best lower their rates as well then. Penny pinching

Frances Mahy

But the people pay for the service in their rates …???

Cath Warman

Are they getting a rate cut since the Council’s cutting their services?