Katherine residents will have to pay to dispose of tyres, fridges and gas bottles at the tip from September 1.
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The price changes are a first step to creating a new and sustainable way of managing waste and a way to recover costs, Katherine Town Council sustainability officer Liam Harte said.
Council’s 2017 audit found the cost of running the waste facility was too high, Mr Harte said.
Tyres, whitegoods and gas bottles require more management to dispose of properly.
Rather than include the costs in general rates, council has decided to introduce the individual charges.
“We are trying to encourage people to separate their waste so when the new dump is open people will already be used to doing that,” Katherine Town Council environment and compliance manager Andrew Wilson said.
“At the moment we have a dump where everything is going to landfill and the (Environmental Protection Agency) EPA will not allow that to continue,” Mr Wilson said.
From September 1 Katherine residents will be charged:
- $6.50 to $13 to dispose of a tyre
- $20 to dispose of a degassed fridge
- $60 to dispose of a fridge with gas
- $50 to dispose of gas bottles off fire extinguishers
Mr Wilson said rangers will be doing extra patrols across Katherine to control illegal rubbish dumping.
Katherine Town Council said illegal dumping is a serious matter leading to environmental harm, health risks and lower property values.
Serious offenders will be prosecuted under the Waste Management and Pollution Control Act.
Council said the community is encouraged to report illegal dumping.
Charges for commercial wastesuch as general commercial, tyres and asbestos are also increasing.
Contact Katherine Town Council for more information.
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