Salvation Army and Bendigo Uniting Care fork out for big tip bills, want relief from council

Bendigo Uniting Care chairman Dean Shirley said removing rubbish dumped at the organisation’s 11 charity bins cost about $15,000 a year. 

He said money spent at the tip would be better used for food, clothing and furniture for people in hardship.  

“The viability of a charitable, non-profit organisation is all about margins, and if you can save some expenses in one area, you can really make a difference in another,” he said. 

“Food is what is really needed in the community, and it would make quite a difference to our organisation, and other organisations.” 

Bendigo Uniting Care were not the only group struggling under the weight of tip fees. Transporting trash to Eaglehawk’s landfill site cost the Salvation Army’s Bendigo Corps $10,000 in the last financial year, treasurer Ron Cooper said.

The organisation spent $5500 on cleaning up abandoned rubbish between last July and November alone, an increase of more than 50 percent from the same period in 2014.  

He said tip fees consumed 10 per cent of the money taken at his organisation’s Eaglehawk Road op shop. 

Volunteer Diane McGillivray, who worked at the store, demanded the City of Greater Bendigo help charities by reconsidering tip fees for their organisation.

Mr Shirley said he wanted Bendigo charities experiencing the problem to meet with the council and discuss options to make sure money was going to those in need, not the tip. 

“I’m not seeking the council to solve all our problems, but it is a problem that needs to be recognised,” he said.  

City of Greater Bendigo’s Susannah Milne acknowledged dumping at charity bins was widespread across Victoria. However, she said it was not the council’s practice to exempt landfill fees for any business or community group.

“To waive these fees for any groups would require other community members to subsidise through higher charges,” she said.