Explaining your waste service

2012/13

A guide to your waste charges

Fees and charges for 2012/13

Council provides approximately 20,000 kerbside waste collection services throughout the Local Government Area.

In addition, each residence is provided with four vouchers to be used for dropping household waste at the Waste and Reuse Centre on Old Maitland Road Cessnock.

For an average residential ratepayer, the total rates increase is $164.00. Included in this amount is a domestic waste charge increase of $130.00.

Gate fees and charges for dropping off your waste (without a voucher) at the Waste and Recycle Centre have also increased.

All entries through the gate are weight based so that you pay for exactly what you deposit at the landfill site.

There are numerous free recycling opportunities at the Waste and Reuse Centre before you incur gate entry fees including excess recyclables, eWaste, metals, lawn clippings, and motor oil.

You can also get reduced gate fees if you sort your green waste and building materials (brick, concrete, tiles, etc) waste before you arrive at the Centre.

Why have the charges increased?

In total around 45,000 tonnes of material is landfilled each year (that is disposed of at our waste centre / landfill site along Old Maitland Road Cessnock).

As part of the NSW State Government Waste Strategy, Council is required to pay the State Waste & Environment Levy on each tonne that is deposited to our landfill site. For 2012/2013 that levy is $93.00 per tonne.

The Federal Government has also introduced a carbon tax from 1 July 2012. Landfill is a major carbon contributor and attracts the carbon tax. Material that is landfilled (especially organic material) produces methane gas which is 20 to 25 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide.

The tax is $23.00 per tonne, but the forecasted cost to Council is more accurate at around $35.00 per tonne, as the landfill continues to emit gas for around 20 years, and Council will continue to be charged by the Federal Government for the subsequent years.

The combined cost of the State Environment Levy and Federal carbon tax to Cessnock City Council for 2012/2013 is expected to be in the order of $6 million.

Effect on households

Council has raised your waste charges as a result of the State Environment Levy and Federal Carbon Tax as well as increases in employment and operational costs which Council has kept to a minimum to reduce the impact on ratepayers.

Council’s increasing costs for the kerbside collection of domestic waste and the operation of the Waste and Reuse Centre have been kept as low as possible. The increase per household per year has been kept to less than $2.00.

The increase per household for the kerbside recycling collection service has been kept to $1.00 for this financial year.

Each residence generates around 1 tonne of waste per year from kerbside collection and up to 2 tonnes from vouchers (4 x 500kgs). That’s around 3 tonnes of material generated each year per residence.

In calculating the Federal and State Government’s liabilities, Council has assumed there will be a reduction in landfill and applied the costs for an average 2 tonnes per residence to reduce the impact.

The increased charges associated with these external costs are estimated at $127.00 per domestic waste service. Council’s internal cost increase of $3.00 per service brings the total increase to $130.00 per household.

The future

Starting this year, Council plans to capture the gas generated at the Waste and Reuse Centre landfill site and either flare it or use it as fuel, which may reduce the carbon liability (and therefore cost) into the future.

Work will also commence on the landfill site expansion that will provide the community with disposal facilities for the next 20 years.

Part of the expansion will include a Small Vehicle Receival Station that will allow for further separation, reuse and/or recycling at an undercover, hard stand facility.

Work will then move to the rehabilitation of the current landfill site.

Council has also committed to undertake a comprehensive review of its Waste Strategy and it is forecast that this review will identify measures that can be taken to minimise volume to landfill, carbon liability and expand the life expectancy of the landfill site further. The most obvious measure will be to divert organic material from the landfill site.

Your payment options

The waste service charge is included as a part of your rates and charges notice and is payable along with your other rates and charges.

There are several options available for payment of your rates including

BpayDirect Debitby phonein person at Council orat Australia Post.

Council recognises that sometimes everyone has difficulty paying bills on time.

If you are having difficulty meeting your rates and charges payments in full or via quarterly instalments, please contact Council to discuss an alternative payment plan.

If you are experiencing genuine financial difficulty in paying your rates and charges, Council will look at individual circumstances and tailor an appropriate payment plan. This could include an extended payment period or, in some circumstances, writing off accrued interest.

Please contact Council to discuss any concerns you may have.

Cessnock City Council62-78 Vincent Street / PO Box 152 CESSNOCK NSW 2325 +61 02 4993 4300council@cessnock.nsw.gov.auwww.cessnock.nsw.gov.au