With the ‘War on Waste‘ gaining momentum, Murrindindi Shire has joined the chorus for change by scrapping its $10 per cubic metre fee for taking scrap metal to the Shire’s Waste Recovery Centres, effective immediately.
Infrastructure and Waste Portfolio Councillor Eric Lording said scrap metal charges were introduced in 2017/18 to meet the changing operational costs of metal recycling following a decline in value of scrap metal.
“Council’s Waste Services – from picking up your wheelie bins to running our Resource Recovery Centres and landfill site – operate as a separate unit of Council and are not funded from general rates income,” Cr Lording said.
“The waste services and infrastructure available to residents and businesses in Murrindindi Shire are funded through user fees (including the waste service charge) and the sale of recyclable materials. This means if the income from the sale of a recovered material declines, we [council] need to make it up elsewhere in order to fund waste services and infrastructure. This has been the case with household recyclables this year and was the case with scrap metal last year.
“These fees don’t exist to turn a profit; they are put in place to recover costs and ensure the long-term availability of waste services to ratepayers. They also are intended to fund upgrades in services and facilities over time to better meet community expectations and improve environmental outcomes.
“Happily in this case, the rebounding value of recycled steel means we are able to remove the fee for the 2018/19 year. So ratepayers can drop their scrap metal into any of Council’s five Resource Recovery Centres at no charge. I encourage you all to take advantage of this opportunity to clean up scrap metal from around your homes and business,” Cr Lording said.
To find out what scrap metal you can recycle or the locations and opening hours of Murrindindi Shire Council’s Resource Recovery Centres, see www.murrindindi.vic.gov.au/waste
