The South Burnett Regional Council has decided to postpone the introduction of recycling due to the cost involved.
This follows a survey of ratepayers earlier this year,
“We have listened to our ratepayers who have clearly said that recycling would be nice to have but they simply can’t afford the cost,” Mayor Wayne Kratzmann said.
“This Council has been hit by natural disasters and the costs involved in repairing other infrastructure has to come before recycling. The feedback from the community has been very clear that road repairs are the priority.
“Recycling is something this Council would love to see implemented. We are all very aware of the long-term benefits of having a sustainable waste management recycling system but we can’t afford for it to happen this coming financial year.”
Council conducted a kerbside collection survey in July this year and 40 per cent of the 13,486 surveys were returned.
“About 31 per cent of the surveys said they were interested in a two-bin system, so we put it out to tender. It was clear from the survey responses that the main reason people would hesitate at recycling was the cost,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
At last month’s meeting, councillors decided unanimously to award JJ Richards the Separable Portion A collection services contract for a one-bin waste only collection and not award the Separable Portion B recyclables transport and processing services contract.
“At the end of the day, the feedback from our community has been to take into account the expense. We will continue to look at other more cost effective ways to recycle,” Mayor Kratzmann said.
“One option put forward is to perhaps have bins at our tips for those that want to take their recycled goods there. We will continue to actively pursue other options for those who want to recycle.”
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