On September 16, at the final council meeting for the current sitting councillors, outgoing Cr Leanne Pentreath left it all on the table, describing the recycling kerbside reform standards as “rubbish”.
The meeting’s recommendation was to endorse a submission to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and advocate that local governments should have the flexibility to consider if these services are efficient for their communities.
The key objective of the recycling reform is to improve the quality of paper and cardboard by adding a dedicated glass bin, which would prevent glass from contaminating other recyclables.
Local governments would need to implement the four-bin reform before 2027.
In the report made by the council’s manager for waste and environment, multiple concerns were outlined regarding the structure not fitting a rural area, with worries that the new regulations would incur “significant additional collection costs”.
Additionally, the council’s Material Recovery Facility accepts waste from NSW, meaning any glassless material collected would eventually be contaminated at the MRF.
The reform is also an ‘opt-out’ model, so residents who do not want to use the bins will need to submit applications to council, which will review and upload evidence to Recycling Victoria every three years.
The report made by the council noted that feedback from Greater Bendigo City Council, which used a similar opt-out system, became overwhelmed with requests to opt out (citing almost 30 per cent of 15,000 services).
During the council meeting, Cr Pentreath moved the motion, barely waiting to turn on her microphone, before stating that the policy “is ridiculous”.
“By 2027, council’s have to have in place a glass collection bin that’s going to cost the consumer ... it’s going to cost the council to do the collection,” Cr Pentreath said.
“We’re going to have a truck that goes around that picks up the glass (and) a truck that goes around that picks up the rubbish, and they’re going to take it back to the same spot.
“We need to continue to advocate that waste services ... are relative to our needs.
“Don’t separate (rubbish), don’t make it dearer — it’s got to make sense, and this is just B.S.”
Cr Colleen Gates, while seconding the motion, criticised the opt-out model, explaining that the system did not favour those who chose to live sustainably and efficiently already and who would pay the same rates regardless of whether they used the services.
Cr Paul Jarman, building on Cr Gates’ points, compared the system in metropolitan and rural environments.
“We could have a vehicle driving down Mitiamo Rd to get one bin 7km down the road, meanwhile in Brunswick I’ve gone 15m and picked up two,” Cr Jarman said.
“Recycling is the way to go, but the rational point is there’s got to be a better way to do it.
“(Like) rewarding people that want to do it, like the deposit schemes are working really well by what I’m aware of, and continue to grow.
“I think it’s a policy miss and what’s being imposed by the state government, and I absolutely support our officers sending this submission back.”
All nine councillors voted to move the motion.
The submission that will be submitted to DEECA was made after council officers consulted with Municipal Association Victoria, members of the Loddon Mallee Circular Economy Reference Group, members of the former Goulburn Valley Waste and Resource Recovery Group, Recycling Victoria, DEECA, JR Richards, Veolia and Biomix.
