Former Bendigo mayor Peter Cox has criticised the current council’s lack of foresight with recycling problems and claimed residents were paying for it through rate increases.
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Recycling costs in the municipality will increase by $25 per property, and overall waste costs will rise by $40 on average, over the next financial year.
Mr Cox, mayor in 2014-15, said because waste charges were calculated separate from the local government rate cap, councils simply passed increased costs on to the community.
“They (City of Greater Bendigo) knew months ago China wasn't going to receive recyclables but they haven't done anything about it,” he said.
Read more: Stockpiles grow as recycling crisis bites
China’s decision to ban plastics and recyclable material from January 1 sent shockwaves through the Victorian industry as costs to collect, process and recycle the material increased across the board.
Mr Cox said making Bendigo a plastic-free city would help reduce the strain on local landfill, as would container-deposit schemes, whereby people receive cash for returning certain drink containers, for example.
In his submission the the COGB’s draft budget 2018-19, Mr Cox also suggested extending free parking in the CBD to encourage more people into the area.
Mayor Margaret O’Rourke said the increase in waste charges was in response to changes in global recycling markets, landfill remediation and the increasing cost of landfill charges levied by the Environmental Protection Authority.
“This is a challenge all councils across Victoria are facing. The rises reflect the costs of providing the service; council does not make a profit from waste services,” she said.
“The city has made a strong commitment to educate residents about what they can put in their waste, recycling and organics bins. Council is working on options for hard waste, free green waste disposal and overflow of recycling into the general waste bin to improve waste services.”
The COGB received 18 submissions for its draft budget.