Waste by weight is

By Mara Pattison-Sowden
COLDSTREAM tips’ “waste by weight” charge will be scrapped under new plans for the Yarra Valley’s three waste transfer centres.
With more than 40 per cent of people in the shire not recycling properly, Yarra Ranges Council is handing the centres over to a private contractor that council believes will offer a range of economic and environmental benefits for Yarra Ranges’ residents.
But those who made the trek to Coldstream to get rid of a large trailer-load of light materials will no longer have that benefit, with costs becoming standardised at the “weight per volume” method.
Councillors voted to accept the waste services contract in a closed-session on 25 October, and the operation will change hands next February from council to Knox Transfer Stations Pty Ltd, trading as Yarra Ranges Recycling Service.
Improvements to the Coldstream and Wesburn services include:
• Open seven days a week.
• Site improvements including recovery sheds and large concrete slabs for sorting recyclables.
• Bigger trucks usage. Currently, cars and trailors are accepted with a three-ton limit, now skips and trucks up to 10 metres will be able to use the facilities.
• Residents won’t have to pay for materials that can be recycled or recovered.
• Onsite mulching is currently given away free. It will now be screened and premium product could be sold for a fee.
• Healesville tip was not considered viable, but council will keep it open on weekends for the local community.
Yarra Ranges Council waste management co-ordinator Graham Brew said under the new arrangement, the contractor would charge the same rates at all three facilities, providing a more equitable pricing structure.
The Mail tested a trailor load of household rubbish at Healesville and Coldstream transfer centres, with Healesville charging $41 and Coldstream charging $14 for the same load.
But a trailer load of rubble would cost $82 at Healesville, according to the council, and the same trailer load of rubble would currently cost $201 at Coldstream.
Mr Brew said under the new system, residents would only pay for what is disposed of.
The contractor will be able to recycle white goods, air conditioners, roofing iron, metal, car batteries and cardboard, and recover items such as toys, bikes, kitchen items, general household and outdoor furniture, tools, clothing and second hand building materials to sell in their recovery centres.
“A lot of other transfer stations are this far down the track,” he said.
“Our hard waste contractors are linked to this company, so they will also utilise these stations.”
Despite talk of closing down the Healesville tip, the councillors decided it was too important for the local community and will remain open on the weekends only.
“We negotiated to keep it open on the weekends, although there’s a lot less patronage at Healesville the councillors saw the need for it,” he said.
Mr Brew said there were still formal processes including a changeover period, but the contractor would have set timeframes to complete the new infrastructure and run at full requirements.
“This company is moving with the times,” he said.
“They even have an environmentally friendly fleet, which sits with the goals of the council.”
The contractor will lease the facilities for a 10-year contract and also take on the processes and procedure for safety.
The council will need to ensure the site is managed properly, and will have higher requirements for managing the Healesville tip contract.
Up to six staff will be impacted by the decision, and are working through options with the union, but Mr Brew said there would be more staff needed than the numbers currently employed and all staff had the ability to apply for positions with the new company.