Being failed over recycling service

The SRC consistently tells us we do not produce enough recyclable material

RUBBISH: The results of several community Face Book polls have revealed that 4:1 of people polled are in favour of introducing kerbside recycling. Picture: Rob Williams

PERUSING the Somerset Regional Council's minutes dated 28/02/18, I was surprised to see that the council is applying for a $788,000 grant from the State Government's Building our Regions Program to expand the Esk tip.

From the minutes: "It is recommended that the council seek 40 per cent state funding of $788,000 for constructing the next two cells at the regional landfill at a total cost of $1.971million.

"If the recommendation below is adopted, external engineering assistance will be sought to help advance the project.

"Recommendation that the council authorise an application under the Building Our Regions program for up to $788,000 in state funding towards the $1.971million upgrade of the regional landfill as part of its round four submission under the Building Our Regions regional capital fund round four and confirm that it will make $1.183million available towards this project."

Decision: Moved - Cr Gaedtke; Seconded - Cr Choat

My surprise is that, despite significant public calls for fortnightly kerbside recycling service and an annual kerbside hard waste collection, the council has advised at least one group in writing (Lowood District Residents Network Inc.) that the council has no intention to provide these services to the rapidly growing southern end of the Somerset region Lowood and Fernvale.

The council does offer a fortnightly recycling pick up for Kilcoy, but this is the only part of the Somerset LGA to receive the service.

The results of several community Face Book polls have revealed that 4:1 of people polled are in favour of introducing kerbside recycling.

Somerset ratepayers (outside of Kilcoy) pay $301.04 each year for a single, weekly 240-litre wheelie bin pick-up, Kilcoy residents pay an extra $77.20 a year to receive a weekly 120-litre red bin service and a fortnightly 240-litre yellow bin (recycling) service.

Compared with our neighbours in the Lockyer LGA who only pay only $266.00 each year for a weekly 240-litre red bin and a fortnightly 240-litre yellow bin service.

The SRC consistently tells us we do not produce enough recyclable material, though their own waste reduction and recycling plan identifies that up to 70 per cent of the waste collected could be recycled, instead it is all sent to landfill at Esk. No wonder they need to expand the tip.

Despite a number of councillors publicly supporting recycling, it would seem that the administration, for reasons know only to itself, is dead set against it. It is high time that the SRC stop treating the rapidly expanding southern end of the LGA as a "cash cow" and start delivering the services that the residents and ratepayers want.

MICHAEL TANNER

Fernvale

Originally published as Being failed over recycling service