A PLANNED 40pc decrease in waste transfer fees for Mount Gambier ratepayers has been put on the back-burner again by City Council, with the deputy mayor labelling the original decision “a poor one” during Tuesday night’s meeting.
Councillor Christian Greco’s original motion, presented in November and endorsed in a 4-3 vote, recommended council adopt a $190 gate price for Caroline Landfill while decreasing waste transfer station fees by 40pc.
While council approved the motion, the decision to implement the changes on January 1 was deferred in December, citing a need for further consideration.
Elected members discussed several waste issues at a January 29 meeting, with Caroline Landfill and waste transfer station fees and the implications of any changes among the items raised.
Calling for the original decision to be rescinded during Tuesday night’s meeting, Cr Sonya Mezinec said the November motion gave council no opportunity to fully explore ramifications of the proposal on council’s budget and financial position.
“The motion from the floor made some very significant and substantial changes to the original proposal … put before council,” she said.
“No information or detail about the consequences of this change to council’s financial position and budget was provided by the proponents of this change to the council meeting.
“The final decision was therefore made without the full facts – it was a decision made without the opportunity for full and proper discussion and debate about the merits and implications of such a proposal.”
Cr Mezinec said the rescission motion would provide council an opportunity to reconsider the matter in an informed manner.
Cr Greco said he put the original motion forward after being approached in regard to the waste transfer station’s “high fees”, with community members indicating to him it was a large reason why people dump illegally.
In response to claims the November decision was made in haste, Cr Greco argued elected members had since workshopped the matter, debated it behind closed doors and could also undertake research of their own.
Taking the floor, Cr Greco also hit out at Cr Mezinec’s claim the motion put at the November full-meeting differed from the committee meeting recommendation and was “done as a surprise” to members.
“I have found to achieve anything in this term as an elected member – it is the only way to get anywhere.
“If you have the conversation beforehand you are quiet often pushed not to go that way as it might disrupt the status quo.
“Whilst I know this decision, that would have helped our community members back pockets will get overturned, I can promise that I will continue to do everything I can to make waste management more accessible and affordable into the future.”
No formal timeline for future discussions regarding waste fee structures was determined in the meeting.
