Colac Otway Shire Council is urging residents to continue to consider the environment and long-term cost to the community when they shop and separate their waste, organics and recycling.
Council's reminder to residents comes as the organisation gets ready to enter a new waste contract to deliver a quality service, and also reflects on a positive outcome, 12 months after a statewide recycling crisis.
"We have secured a new contract with Wheelie Waste, an operator that had been contracted to collect our waste and then stepped in and assisted us with our recycling when SKM closed its doors.
"Colac Otway can be proud to be one of just a few Councils affected by the SKM crisis that continued to recycle, with no recyclable material going to landfill.
"Wheelie Waste had an existing contract with Visy at the time and was able to not only continue its kerbside rubbish collection but was able to start taking our recycling to Visy when SKM closed as an interim measure.
"After a comprehensive tender process for Colac Otway's largest contract, Wheelie Waste was the successful tenderer to deliver waste, recycling and organics collection and disposal services from September 7 for a five-year term, with an extension option of two years.
"It is proposed that the community will pay less for their garbage collection charge and will notice minimal change to kerbside collections and waste drop-off services while Council will look to expand kerbside collections where there is demand and continue looking at how it can reduce costs.
"There will be some changes for drop-off sites, in response to when people have been using the services, and the prepaid ticket system will remain in place, with waste and recycling disposal available.
"From September 7, 2020, Alvie will open Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays 10am to 3pm; Birregurra will continue to open Sunday 10am-4pm and the first Friday of every month 10am-4pm; and Apollo Bay will continue seasonal hours of Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday 10am to 2pm in winter/autumn and longer hours in summer to meet demand.
"Hours at rural drop-off sites will reduce by one hour and days of operation will remain the same: Lavers Hill 12pm to 3pm; Beech Forrest 8.30am to 11.30am; Gellibrand 12pm to 3pm; Carlisle River 8.30am to 11.30am
"The key message for our community is that as Council focuses on the environment, sustainability and reducing costs, separating our waste will be more important than ever.
"Colac Otway's draft budget for 2020-21 is proposing an annual weekly kerbside collection charges will drop from $315 to $300 a year and ratepayers who receive fortnightly collection will receive an annual charge of $205 down from $215, under our new contract.
"However, we all need to know that if recycling bins are contaminated or people are placing recyclables in their rubbish bins and more waste is going to landfill, Council's costs, which include the State Landfill levy, will go up.
"Don't put recycling in bags and no soft plastics in your recycling or e-waste in your rubbish bin.
"Our new contract including the flexibility to go to a fourth bin and eventually we could separate glass from cardboard to further improve recycling opportunities," Mr McGann said.
"We must continue to reduce our waste going to landfill; it's everyone's responsibility."
