Green waste costs council

Cr Tony Williams.

IT cost more than $75,000 to provide a free green waste disposal service at Rockhampton Regional Council’s tips last month.

Over nine days from February 13 to 21, there were 5631 trips to dumps to dispose of trees and shrubs damaged in storms whipped up by Cyclone Olga.

It now normally costs $38.50 a tonne to handle green waste at the council’s tips in Rockhampton, Gracemere, Yeppoon, Mount Morgan, Emu Park, Cawarral, The Caves, Alton Downs, Bouldercombe and Marlborough.

Mark Allpress, the council’s manager of waste operations, told councillors the exercise had cost the authority $53,000 in lost revenue and $22,000 in site preparation and overtime for additional staff.

Monitoring of the sites threw up a fascinating set of statistics.

The vast majority of people delivered their damaged vegetation in utes, but more than 10% of the trips had been to get rid of no more than a standard garbage bag full of material. And people in Yeppoon took the opportunity to get rid of much heavier loads than those in Rockhampton and Mount Morgan. Inspectors said the site contained heavy logs and stumps.

Health and Regulatory Services Committee chairman Cr Tony Williams said the exercise proved nothing came for free.

Most people had used the free period during the first weekend and usage dropped off substantially mid-week prompting suggestions that if there is another fee-free service offered it should be over a shorter period.