THE Mount Gambier City Council has refused a request from Wattle Range Council to attend its scheduled private workshop discussions last night about the Caroline landfill.
Facing a $35,000 spike in its dump fees, Wattle Range Council voted unanimously at its first council meeting for 2020 last week to seek the place.
However, Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin has written to her Wattle Range counterpart Des Noll to say last night’s workshop was not open to the public.
Ms Martin explained the reasons in a statement to The South Eastern Times.
“At this stage City of Mount Gambier elected members believe that attendance of Wattle Range Council at the workshop would not be beneficial for either party as Wattle Range Council and Grant District Council have expressed their views to the full City Council via a deputation at the December City of Mount Gambier council meeting,” Ms Martin said.
“I have expressed to Mr Noll the City of Mount Gambier will be pleased to meet with Wattle Range representatives following the workshop as the next steps become clearer.”
Mr Noll and Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower have both been approached for comment by this newspaper but have declined.
According to the City Council website, the closed forum at 5.30pm at the Mount Gambier Civic Centre was set to canvass options for the regional facility.
It was officially regarded as a “planning session of a strategic nature” with gate fees, weed management and waste transfer station fees on the agenda.
The City Council also gathered on Tuesday night for a closed workshop regarding the arts collective update and the strategic plan update.
Last night’s workshop about the Caroline landfill follows the City Council decision several weeks ago to ignore its own staff recommendation regarding the charges.
The gate price at the Caroline landfill for Wattle Range Council is set to increase to $190 per tonne and this is 6pc higher than the $179 per tonne increase originally floated by City Council staff.
Closed workshops are commonplace among both councils.
Wattle Range held 13 such private forums during the last calendar year with seven already scheduled for 2020.
