MOUNT Gambier City Council will review its decision to cut fees by 40pc at the Waste Transfer Station until a workshop is held to discuss the financial impacts of a reduction.
The new fee rate was expected to be swept in on January 1, 2020 after council endorsed the change at its November meeting, however the decision has since been deferred pending further discussion.
During Tuesday night’s debate, Mount Gambier Mayor Lynette Martin indicated the decision had been made “on the fly”, a view shared by council chief executive Andrew Meddle who authored a staff report which stated the November decision “demonstrates the dangers of making policy without a breath of information”.
The issue has drawn the ire of neighbouring Wattle Range and Grant District councils, which would pay up to $190 per tonne in gate fees at Caroline Landfill, an increase from the current $164 fee to help fund the 40pc decrease.
As a result of the State Government’s shock hike to the Solid Waste Levy, the councils had prepared for an increase to $179 per tonne before City Council’s November decision.
Representatives from both neighbouring councils attended City Council’s Tuesday night meeting to address elected members about the proposal.
Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower delivered a stirring deputation about the financial impact the change would have on the council.
Following the deputation, a motion outlining the table of fees agreed on at the previous council meeting was moved by Cr Christian Greco.
However, an amendment was put forward by Cr Frank Morello to refrain from introducing the new fee structure until a workshop is held at the end of January.
“This is a multi-layered issue, which requires the proper consideration,” Cr Morello said.
“Given the vast amount of new information that has come to light regarding the impact of a 40pc cost reduction at the Waste Transfer Station and the increase in the gate fees at the Caroline Landfill to $190 per tonne, I feel it is prudent that we reconsider this matter more fully with all the facts and figures.”
Cr Sonya Mezinec supported the amendment and believed reducing fees for residents sent the wrong message to the community.
“We as councillors need to make some decisions that really look towards minimising what goes out to landfill,” she said.
“Lowering the cost for people actually does not put any impost on them and in a sense is actually an encouragement to go and dump anything out there, which is a really, really bad message.”
Elected members were split on the issue, however following a division, the amendment received a majority vote of four to three.
Cr Ben Hood voted in favour of the amendment, however said he was not opposed to a reduction in the fees at the Waste Transfer Station.
“I am certainly not ruling out offering transfer fee relief for ratepayers, we just need to have a measured conversation about it as council,” he said.
“We should not shoot from the hip and make these decisions on the fly as was the case last month.”
Mayor Lynette Martin expressed a fear the council was sending mixed messages to the other councils by reducing fees.
“We are bleating that we have been hit with the Solid Waste Levy, but then we go and cut the Waste Transfer Station fees,” Ms Martin said.
“I for one feel like a decision was made on the fly and we need more information.”
While conceding it was wise to have more discussion, Cr Greco said he did not expect the decision to defer the changes in fees to be well-received by the community.
“Council made a decision to lower its gate prices by 40pc for the residents and we are changing that decision because it was due to happen on January 1 and now it will not be,” Cr Greco said.
“This will not be well-received, there will be phone calls in the coming days.”
