About 150 South Burnett businesses will soon have to comply with the same regulations covering trade waste that most Kingaroy businesses already do after the South Burnett Regional Council adopted a new Trade Waste Management Policy yesterday.
The new policy was passed at the Council’s October general meeting.
It will standardise the way trade waste issues are handled across the Shire.
The new policy will apply to businesses operating in towns connected to sewerage systems, ie. Kingaroy, Nanango, Blackbutt, Wondai, Murgon and Proston.
SBRC Infrastructure General Manager Russell Hood told southburnett.com.au bringing in common, Shire-wide standards for the way grease, oil and other trade waste were handled had been prompted by the Council’s long-term intention to upgrade sewage treatment plants across the region.
Mr Hood said the former Kingaroy Shire Council had introduced a Trade Waste policy “many years ago”.
However, both Murgon and Wondai Shires didn’t have one and while Nanango did, it differed from Kingaroy’s policy in a number of areas.
Introducing a standard, Shire-wide policy had been one of the few post-amalgamation issues still needing to be addressed.
The new policy will require businesses that generate Trade Waste to obtain an annual $245 trade waste permit from Council.
Money raised by the permits will pay for Council inspectors to visit business premises periodically to check that waste processing systems were working properly, and also provide advice to owners about how waste processing might be improved and/or costs reduced.
Mr Hood said incorrectly operated grease traps could clog up drains and pipes, resulting in expensive repairs.
However some savvy operators could make money by recycling certain waste products, such as cooking oils.
Council inspectors would be able to advise businesses on issues like these.
Mr Hood said the new policy would be gradually implemented over the coming year.
Council plumbing inspectors will kick-start the program by carrying out an inspection program in the six sewered towns between mid-November and mid-February to identify businesses affected by the new policy.
At present there are 89 trade waste permits registered, mostly in Kingaroy, which generate $21,805 in annual fees.
The total number of new permits needed won’t be known until the inspection program is concluded, but Council officers estimate another 150 will be required.
Mr Hood stressed the new policy “was not punitive” but was designed to help businesses avoid unnecessary costs while at the same time reducing the potential for environmental damage.
